The Bulwark Podcast – March 4, 2026

Guest: Morris Katz ("Tax the Billionaires")

Host: Tim Miller
Summary by Bulwark Podcast Summarizer

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode features a deep, candid conversation between Tim Miller and rising Democratic strategist Morris Katz—best known for his work on Zoran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign—about populist left strategies, political authenticity, coalition-building, the challenges of progressive messaging in today’s political context, and how to unite the party (and country) around taxing the super-rich. The episode covers campaign stories, key divides on the left, media strategy, and reflections on recent high-profile races. The tone is witty, irreverent, and occasionally fiercely critical.

Episode Breakdown

1. Morris Katz's Origin Story in Campaign Politics

• Timestamps: 01:29 – 04:21
• Morris grew up in lower Manhattan; both parents in the arts.
• Started as a political writer, his first big break came after profiling a North Carolina House candidate who directly recruited him due to his strong grasp of campaign messaging.
• His “100 counties in 100 days” tour in rural NC taught him to reframe left messages in terms people actually cared about. Instead of “Green New Deal,” he learned to talk about breaking up energy monopolies, GoFundMe healthcare, universal broadband, etc.
  • “We need to take on Duke Energy because there should not be one energy monopoly ruling this city. Rural North Carolina deserves better than a GoFundMe healthcare system and a dollar store economy. We need a real new deal…” (M. Katz, 03:13)
• Developed video/communications chops, later staffed John Fetterman’s pivotal Senate campaign.
• Emphasizes learning to adjust language to resonate locally—populism over abstract progressive jargon.

2. Working with Zoran Mamdani, NYC's Populist Mayor

• Timestamps: 05:11 – 07:39
• Introduced to Zoran via mutual friend; impressed by Zoran’s clarity, charisma, and specific affordable-housing agenda.
• “You either have it, or you don’t… and he has it.” (M. Katz, 05:16)
• Strategies for turning an ideological campaign into broad resonance—Zoran had a bold, specific mission rather than just filling an open office.
• Katz jokes he’s “coaching Michael Jordan”—strategy can help, but underlying talent is indispensable.

3. Navigating Trump & White House Meetings

• Timestamps: 07:03 – 11:24
• Surreal experience in the Oval Office—Morris describes a focus on practical outcomes, not ideological point-scoring.
• The approach: always pivot back to concrete wins for New Yorkers rather than get lost fighting with Trump on values.
  • “We’re not going there to change Donald Trump’s politics… you’re going there because you’re the mayor of New York and your job is to make life better for New Yorkers.” (Katz, 08:11)
• If Trump had crossed racist “red lines,” Zoran would call it out, but refocus on bread-and-butter issues.
• Laughs at rumors that a young woman’s release from ICE was due to Trump’s attraction to her—says they only brought Daily News covers as props, not personal photos.

4. The “Horseshoe” Problem and Populist Alliances

• Timestamps: 12:03 – 15:16
• Miller worries Zoran-Trump engagement may create a left/right populist horseshoe that abandons liberals and “provides cover for Trump.”
• Katz: Liberal/neoliberal Democrats failed to deliver. Instead, “actual swing voters” are increasingly anti-establishment. Engaging them on common ground demonstrates Democrats “can roll up their sleeves,” opening doors to winning them.
  • “The horseshoe exists for voters. It’s a question of whether our politicians are ever going to meet them there as well.” (Katz, 14:31)
• Contrasts tactical focus: Zoran comes with an actionable agenda (“get someone released,” “get a housing agreement”).
• Critiques Democratic leadership’s “incoherence” and failure to articulate plans, especially in war contexts.

5. Democratic Messaging, War, and Chuck Schumer’s Gaffe

• Timestamps: 16:14 – 19:34
• Tim Miller and Katz both slam the “blob mentality” and lack of coherent Democratic messaging on Iran.
• Miller: “No war for Iran... It's just crazy, it's a betrayal of his voters.”
• Katz: “It is the easiest possible message every single person agrees on, except for a handful of the most powerful Democrats in the country.” (19:34)

6. Israel, NYC, and Managing the Antisemitism Discourse

• Timestamps: 21:15 – 26:44
• The Gaza war became central in the mayoral campaign largely due to rivals and media, not proactive Zoran messaging.
  • “We held zero press conferences being like... we want to talk about what's happening in Gaza.” (Katz, 22:10)
• Condemning antisemitism is a core principle; Zoran’s credibility comes from “calling out hate universally.”
• Frustrated with social media narratives: often what Zoran actually says about antisemitism is drowned out or obscured by algorithmic feeds.
• Discussion of Katz’s “family crest” tattoo—lighthearted riff on his Jewish heritage.

7. The Social Media Pipeline: Gaza, Antizionism, and Online Radicalization

• Timestamps: 27:14 – 30:40
• Miller notes some left-wing, pro-Gaza online advocacy exposes activists to genuine antisemites (Tucker, Candace Owens, Nick Fuentes, etc.).
• Katz: “My biggest pet peeve as a Jewish [person] is the very deliberate lane of messaging that makes no distinction between Zionism and Judaism. It makes that a lot easier.” (28:29)
• Calls for clear, constant distinction between criticism of Israel and antisemitism; criticizes Schumer for conflating the two.
• “Not all anti-Zionism is antisemitism, but antisemitism can manifest as anti-Zionism.” (Katz, 30:27)

8. Policy Pragmatism, the “Technocratic Socialist,” and Governing Realities

• Timestamps: 30:48 – 33:23
• Miller points out that Zoran, despite his radical reputation, has made pragmatic decisions—refusing to protest Hochul, making peace with trade unions, managing homelessness, and “abundancy” reform.
• Katz: Executive office demands day-to-day problem-solving; reality forces pragmatism.
  • “What makes him a uniquely good leader is the belief not just in like big government, but that for us to have big government, we need to have excellent government… It’s about a government firing on all cylinders every single day.” (Katz, 32:17)

9. National Races: Texas, Talarico vs. Crockett

• Timestamps: 34:35 – 38:38
• Katz praises James Talarico’s “top-bottom” populist campaign—against both corporate elites and more traditional Democratic messaging.
  • “The fundamental issue in our country right now is a consolidation of power and wealth at the very top, and everyone else is being screwed.” (Katz, 35:38)
• Critiques campaigns that fail to communicate why Trump is a betrayal for working people.
• Points to the “Kamala conundrum”—candidates stuck between alienating both left and center.

10. Left Populism vs. Social Issues: Electability in Red States

• Timestamps: 39:47 – 48:34
• Miller is skeptical that left economic populism is enough without flexibility on cultural issues (guns, cops, immigration, etc.)—especially in red states.
• Katz: Economic populism is “the starter kit”—beyond that, candidates should “meet voters where they are,” tailoring social issue stances locally.
  • “The left-wing populism... is not the end all be all. It’s just a starting place for viability and everything else should be flexible.” (Katz, 43:01)
• Opines it’s more a matter of prioritization and rhetorical approach than 100% ideological lockstep.

11. The Graham Platner Senate Campaign and "Populist Authenticity"

• Timestamps: 50:45 – 57:52
• Miller probes the risks with Graham Platner’s campaign given controversial episodes (Nazi tattoo accusations, media affiliations).
• Katz: “If Janet Mills is so electable, why does no one fucking want to vote for her?” (Katz, 51:41); describes Platner’s appeal in working-class, rural Maine.
• Defends Platner’s authenticity against “downwardly mobile old money” jibes; describes deep roots in his community and genuine hard times.
• On accusations of right-wing interviews/tattoos: “He does dozens of interviews a week… cherry-picking a few things, you can do that with any campaign.” (Katz, 54:41)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “You either have it or you don’t... and he [Zoran] has it.”
  — Morris Katz ([05:16])
• “The horseshoe exists for voters. It’s a question of whether our politicians are ever going to meet them there as well.”
  — Morris Katz ([14:31])
• “It's the easiest possible message every single person agrees on, except for a handful of the most powerful Democrats in the country.”
  — Morris Katz (on anti-war messaging, [19:34])
• “My biggest pet peeve as a Jewish is the very deliberate lane of messaging that makes no distinction between Zionism and Judaism. It makes that a lot easier... [for antisemites].”
  — Morris Katz ([28:29])
• “Not all anti-Zionism is antisemitism, but antisemitism certainly at moments manifests as anti-Zionism. There should be room to condemn it where it is.”
  — Morris Katz ([30:27])
• “For us to have big government, we need to have excellent government.”
  — Morris Katz ([32:17])
• “The fundamental issue in our country right now is a consolidation of power and wealth at the very top, and everyone else is being screwed.”
  — Morris Katz ([35:38])
• “The left-wing populism... is not the end all be all. It’s just a starting place for viability and everything else should be flexible off of the specific place you’re running and off of the electorate you have in the communities you’re in.”
  — Morris Katz ([43:01])
• “If Janet Mills is so electable, why does no one fucking want to vote for her?”
  — Morris Katz ([51:41])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Katz’s career and early lessons in populist messaging: 01:29 – 04:21
• Meeting and campaign with Zoran Mamdani: 05:11 – 07:39
• Behind the scenes at White House meetings with Trump: 07:03 – 11:24
• Cross-ideological left/right “horseshoe” and coalition concerns: 12:03 – 15:16
• War messaging, Democratic incoherence, Schumer gaffes: 16:14 – 19:34
• Israel/Gaza, antisemitism, social media narrative warfare: 21:15 – 26:44
• Social media pipelines and distinguishing anti-Zionism/antisemitism: 27:14 – 30:40
• Zoran’s pragmatic progressivism in office: 30:48 – 33:23
• Texas primary, Talarico’s populist win: 34:35 – 38:38
• Kamala conundrum, left populism, and culture war traps: 39:47 – 48:34
• Vetting Graham Platner, authenticity, and campaign controversies: 50:45 – 57:52
• Playful rapid-fire (Conor Lamb, sex, tattoos, future plans): 58:33 – 64:43
• Bipartisan Kumbaya: “Cut environmental red tape to build more houses, and we’re gonna tax the fuck out of the rich.” ([63:35])

Final Synthesis: Takeaways

• Katz is a shrewd, media-savvy progressive strategist anchored in practical populist messaging and skeptical of “neoliberal” party dogmas.
• Effective left populism must blend authenticity, tangible results, emotional resonance, and place-tailored pragmatism.
• The battle for the Democratic Party's future—and for national majorities—turns on uniting around economic populism while showing strategic, culturally-sensitive flexibility, not dogmatism.
• Both host and guest agree on the need for “painful taxation” of the super-wealthy and for cutting through the stale “corporate establishment vs. left” dichotomy with new, outcome-driven coalition politics.

For full details, listen to the timestamped highlights above.