The Brilliant Idiots – “Cold War”

Hosts: Charlamagne Tha God & Andrew Schulz
Date: November 7, 2025

Episode Overview

In "Cold War," Charlamagne Tha God and Andrew Schulz react to the recent New York mayoral election, dissecting Zoran Mamdani's grassroots win and its national implications. With their trademark irreverence and biting humor, the duo analyzes campaign strategies, Democratic Party inertia, the role of identity and class, plus the looming specter of Trump’s federal power. The conversation spins into matters of policing, anti-Semitism, political rhetoric, and plenty of hilarious tangents about wet dreams, ghost sex, and the real meaning of “jizya”.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. New York Mayoral Election & Zoran Mamdani’s Win

• Notable trend: A “basics” campaign focused on affordability, social media savvy, and youth engagement propelled a progressive outsider to victory in a city dominated by establishment Democrats.
• Campaign analysis:
  • “The best campaign should always win. He ran a great campaign in a very weak field.” (Charlamagne, 03:31)
  • Mamdani’s messaging mimicked Donald Trump’s “America First”—calling his platform “New York First,” focused on cost-of-living crises and public safety.
• Electoral shifts: Hosts highlight that despite Mamdani polling at 1% in February, the Israel-Gaza conflict and his focus on local needs shifted the race dramatically.

2. Media & Political Platform Access

• On access and campaign decisions:
  • Multiple candidates avoided major platforms like Flagrant and Breakfast Club, leading to speculation about campaign mismanagement or fear of real accountability.
  • "If you were actually trying to win, would you not come on the biggest pod in the—" (Andrew, 06:00)
• Flagrant perceptions: Guests argue that simply being visible and relatable on popular shows is more impactful than combative or staged conflict interviews.

3. Critique of the Democratic Party

• Basics over revolution:
  • Critics joke that Democrats are heralding basic campaign strategies as revolutionary due to years of out-of-touch candidates.
  • “Democrats, y'all are so out of touch...the basics work.” (Charlamagne, 12:09)
• Party inertia: Warning against recycling older establishment figures instead of youth-oriented, issue-based campaigns.

4. Trump, Federal Power & Strategy Against Progressives

• On Trump's potential reaction:
  • Both hosts argue that the smartest move Trump could make is to let Mamdani govern without federal interference.
  • “The smartest thing Trump could do is get out the way and let Mondani try to do his job.” (Charlamagne, 19:55)
• Boogeyman theory: If NYC fails under Mamdani, Trump can claim it as proof against leftist governance; if Mamdani succeeds, Trump can try to claim credit for non-interference.
• Federal overreach and fascism: Charlamagne voices concern over the erosion of checks and balances under a Trump administration.

5. The Role of Identity & Messaging

• Identity politics vs. economic focus:
  • Mamdani’s win is credited to focusing on money—affordability, child care, housing—rather than divisive identity issues.
  • “He didn't talk about identity politics…he talked about money.” (Dolly, 24:20)
  • Yet as a Muslim and person of color, his identity remains inescapable in campaign coverage.
• Victory speech praised: Mamdani’s shout-outs to NY’s diversity—“Yemeni bodega owners…Mexican abuelas, Senegalese taxi drivers…” (Andrew quoting speech, 24:42)—is held up as unifying, not divisive.

6. Policing, Public Safety & Community Relations

• NYPD relations:
  • Discuss the necessity for Mamdani to quickly demonstrate support for the police to avoid a repeat of de Blasio’s chilly relations and the potential withdrawal of police engagement.
  • “I've been here since 2006. When the NYPD don't give a fuck about you, they don't give a fuck about you.” (Charlamagne, 27:24)
• Community-police collaboration: Proposed task forces for mental health and homelessness, shifting some duties off police officers’ shoulders.

7. Anti-Semitism, Israel-Gaza Debate & Accusations

• Nuanced discussion:
  • The show confronts how criticism of Israel’s government conflates quickly with anti-Semitism, urging for clearer, issue-based debates.
  • “I think it's unfair to call people like Mandani anti-Israel because they're not...they're anti the current Israeli government.” (Charlamagne, 45:55)
• Fringe rhetoric and silencing effect: Andrew warns that labeling all criticism as hate cedes discourse to the extremes and silences the reasonable middle.
  • “If you're critical of what a government's doing and somebody labels you an anti-Semite…it makes a lot of people just get quiet.” (Andrew, 76:00)
• Conspiracy refutation: They stress that if anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about Jewish power were true, Mamdani would not be mayor.

8. The Progressive Agenda & National Impact

• Potential limits: The hosts caution that progressive victories like Mamdani’s may not translate well to less-urban, more conservative regions, even though economic populism (affordability) is broadly resonant.
• National lessons:
  • “When people are struggling…they see the government sending billions of dollars overseas…People in America start to go, how are you not taking care of us?” (Andrew, 44:16)

9. Tangents, Humor & Vulnerability

• Ghost sex & nocturnal emissions: Extended joke on wet dreams, ghost blowjobs (“poltergeist gave you some head, bro”—Charlamagne, 87:01), as the gang riffs in classic Idiots style.
• Male masturbation vs. female masturbation: Lighthearted debate about why male masturbation is considered gross but female masturbation is seen as sexy.
• Leadership, values, and family: The episode closes with the hosts acknowledging they don’t see themselves as “leaders” but as servants to their audience and crediting their parents for their values.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On basics in politics:
  • “Democrats, y'all are so out of touch…the basics work.”
    — Charlamagne (12:09)
• On owning the mayoral platform:
  • “If you're the mayor of New York, you're the mayor of America. No other place really has a mayor that matters.”
    — Andrew (14:43)
• On political labeling:
  • “If you're critical of what a government's doing and somebody labels you an anti-Semite…it makes a lot of people just get quiet.”
    — Andrew (76:00)
• On police relations:
  • “When the NYPD don't give a fuck about you, they don't give a fuck about you.”
    — Charlamagne (27:24)
• On food insecurity and pride:
  • “I would rather subsidize…the places that already exist in the hood. Give the bodegas food. Let them provide food for cheaper for the people in the area.”
    — Andrew (56:05)
• On dealing with social accusations:
  • “Labeling somebody hateful is going to make everybody else leave the conversation...and then what they're saying is all of a sudden normalized.”
    — Andrew (79:16)
• On leadership and humility:
  • “I don't look at myself as a leader...I feel like I am a servant. I'm here to serve the needs of our listeners.”
    — Charlamagne (97:46)

Important Timestamps

• [03:31] – Mamdani’s campaign and win dissected
• [06:00-07:30] – Candidates avoiding the biggest NYC shows
• [12:09] – “Democrats are out of touch—basics win”
• [19:55] – Trump’s best strategy: do nothing, let Zoran govern
• [24:42] – Celebrating Mamdani’s unifying victory speech
• [27:24] – Importance of NYPD relations for city safety
• [45:55] – Distinguishing anti-Israel from anti-Semitism
• [56:05] – Subsidizing food stores over new grocery initiatives
• [76:00] – Dangers of shutting down debate with accusations
• [87:01] – Hilarious “poltergeist gave you head” exchange

Tone & Dynamic

The conversation is fast, sharp, joke-driven, and at times deeply insightful. Charlamagne and Schulz operate with a mix of critical analysis, self-deprecating humor, and earnest engagement with the city’s political and cultural realities. Banter veers from politics to pop culture to personal foibles—never shying from controversial topics or impropriety, but always circling back to the show’s unique intersection of idiocy and brilliance.

For New Listeners

“Cold War” is a classic Idiots’ episode: you’ll laugh, squirm, and likely come away with a smarter (if more jaded) look at New York City’s political moment and how it reflects the national mood. Whether discussing flagrant hypocrisy, the power of the basics, or why both sides keep missing the point, the episode delivers equal parts substance and spicy nonsense.