Summary: The Chris Cuomo Project

Episode: Adam Mockler Charts The Path Forward For Democrats

Date: September 30, 2025
Host: Chris Cuomo
Guest: Adam Mockler

Episode Overview

Chris Cuomo sits down with Adam Mockler, a young liberal influencer with a massive online following, to dissect the current and future strategies for Democrats and left-leaning movements in America. Their conversation explores the pitfalls of grievance-driven politics, the challenge of engaging young men, the influence of social media, and the necessity for Democrats to offer concrete solutions beyond simply opposing MAGA.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Goals and Identity of the Left

02:00

• Mockler clarifies he sees himself as a liberal, not a leftist

  "I call myself more of a liberal, not really a leftist... The goal should be to maximize the happiness and well-being of everybody in America..." — Adam Mockler

02:34

• Cuomo identifies the imperative: Democrats must defeat the opposition to win power, but at what cost?

  “To win elections, you have to make the other side lose. That is the easiest path to victory. That’s why gerrymandering is such a big thing...” — Chris Cuomo

Attention Economy and Negative Messaging

03:25–05:05

• Mockler argues that messaging built around grievance (‘Trump sucks’) is the dominant paradigm but recognizes its limitations

  “Our whole strategy was sort of, Trump sucks, but you're saying that needs to be matched with a more forward-looking vision, like from the Obama era.” — Adam Mockler

• Cuomo warns that mimicking MAGA’s anger only perpetuates the problem

  “I think Trump sucks is MAGA. I think Trump sucks is all grievance, all outrage... I am your retribution, I am your vengeance.” — Chris Cuomo

• On Newsom’s political style:

  “Newsom’s popularity, to me, is a yellow flag... he’s dominating the attention economy because he realized that’s what Trump’s been doing.” — Adam Mockler (04:30)

The Risks—and Power—of Social Media Amplification

05:05–09:17

• Cuomo dissects how social media companies shape political discourse for profit, amplifying outrage and negativity

  “I don’t know what Mockler’s creating... but I’m taking what he’s creating and I’m using it and I’m amplifying it and I’m drowning out other voices... and as soon as you do that, there should be a responsibility that has to change.” — Chris Cuomo (06:58)

• Mockler concedes the value of attention, but Cuomo critiques clickbait tactics

  “Now it's straight clickbait with these people when they go digital... I'm going to follow you around and try and get you into a conflict.” — Chris Cuomo (09:17)
  “What I want to see from Newsom is: mock Trump, fine. Get you clicks... But then that second piece... bring a case, run on a platform where there will be no more gerrymandering...” — Chris Cuomo (10:03)

Leadership, Substance, and Messaging

12:13–14:11

• Cuomo urges the left to connect with the "many," not just the online "few"

  “Your life on digital media, you are playing to the few, not the many... The many want reasonable, balanced, sane. They don’t want boring... Can you actually do anything that will make something that I care about better?” — Chris Cuomo (12:13)

• Discussion on faith and the separation of church and state

  “The wall between church and state matters, for now, it is holding. But that is only if people keep advocating and fight the good fight.” — Chris Cuomo (14:11)

Mockler’s Personal Story & the Rise of Young Influencers

15:27–17:40

• Mockler details his upbringing (Syrian heritage, young parents), early YouTube start, and method of engaging Trump supporters in honest debate

  “I went to a Trump rally two states over and I debated the people there in a very respectful way... My whole thing was, ‘Hey, you think that Trump is putting America first, but I would say funding Ukraine is putting America first.’” — Adam Mockler (16:50)

The Midas Touch Network and Partisan Media

17:40–21:02

• Midas Touch has succeeded by serving a previously unaddressed liberal/pro-democracy audience, adopting tactics that rival Fox News in loyalty and messaging

  “They’re speaking to a broad audience that wasn’t spoken to for a while... Midas Touch decided to essentially create something for our base, for a pro-democracy base...” — Adam Mockler (18:08)

• Cuomo and Mockler discuss how both tribal loyalty and combative rhetoric are shaping new media ecosystems

  “Anybody who plays to a side is going to kick my ass in numbers.” — Chris Cuomo (22:35)

Critique of Binary Party Systems and the Need for Authenticity

23:09–24:57

• Cuomo expresses his disdain for “the game”—the binary trap of U.S. politics

  “I really believe the parties are the problem... I hate the game.” — Chris Cuomo (23:09)

• Mockler pushes back, noting both sides morph into what they oppose

  “It seems like both sides begin to morph into the other side.” — Adam Mockler (24:12)

Authentic Strength vs. Outrage Politics

26:20–38:19

• Cuomo and Mockler discuss the need for Democrats to be seen as tough, but not out of anger—"sweet strength" versus performative bravado

  “The tough motherfucker is not the guy who says he wants to beat your ass. It is the guy who no one wants to try to beat his ass.” — Chris Cuomo (37:32)

• Young liberal men report feeling suffocated by risk-averse, finger-wagging Democratic Party culture

  “The Democratic Party has just gotten suffocating... I’ve got so many young men who are liberals who... just feel suffocated by the overall party.” — Adam Mockler (26:23)

Algorithmic Radicalization and Young Men

48:54–52:37

• Mockler describes algorithm-driven radicalization, particularly for young men, and how they fall into right-wing content pipelines

  “There’s this theory that I have called the pipeline to volume theory in the algorithm... a lot of young men... get sucked down this Andrew Tate pipeline... or other radicalization.” — Adam Mockler (29:05, expanded at 50:15)

• Cuomo observes Democrats failed to create positive spaces for young men, leaving them alienated and villainized

  “Young men are getting crushed... Because we’ve made it that way. They are not a priority except in terms of villainizing. And it has worked.” — Chris Cuomo (52:03)

How to Debate Ideas after Political Violence

33:05–35:09, 54:05–55:33

• Cuomo draws a sharp line: separate the man from the message, and never equivocate on political violence

  “When you start killing for ideas, the ideas will die. … There cannot be a comma or a but anywhere near the murder part.” — Chris Cuomo (33:36, 54:05)

• Advocates debating actual ideas after time, not tying critiques to moments of tragedy

  “If you don’t like his beliefs, have better beliefs. Don’t kill him for his. Let’s have the debate... That’s the way to do it.” — Chris Cuomo (54:52, 55:33)

The Path Forward: Solutions Over Grievance

39:22–44:03

• Cuomo pushes the need for specific policy plans and pragmatic fixes, especially on affordability and immigration, urging Democrats to focus on signal over noise

  “The game is not which one of us is worse... Change the game. Don’t let the game change you. ... I can fix the affordability problem and not by giving everybody free shit.” — Chris Cuomo (39:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You lefties have a tendency to beat us over the head with your intelligence and there comes off as an arrogance... Even if you’re right.” — Chris Cuomo (01:31)
• “As long as it’s getting viewed... Look, there are people now... when they go digital... it’s straight clickbait.” — Chris Cuomo (09:17)
• “There is a lie in that, by the way... Who said moving back home and having multi-generational families is a bad thing?” — Chris Cuomo (47:34)
• “The conversation is the cure, and I’m always welcome to have it with you.” — Chris Cuomo (57:30)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:00 — Mockler on goals and personal political identity
• 04:30 — Newsom, Trump, and the attention economy
• 06:58 — The role of social media amplification and responsibility
• 12:13 — Cuomo on the difference between “the many” and “the few”
• 16:50 — Mockler’s backstory and debate style
• 18:08 — The success of the Midas Touch network
• 23:09 — Problems with the binary, party-driven system
• 24:12 — Both parties morphing into each other
• 37:32 — Cuomo on what authentic toughness means
• 39:22 — Cuomo urges Democrats to focus on solutions
• 50:15 — Mockler’s theory of algorithmic radicalization among young men
• 52:03 — Cuomo on the neglected struggles of young men
• 54:05 — How to handle political violence in discourse
• 57:01 — Mockler on the importance of respectful debate and moving beyond clickbait

Final Takeaways

• Democrats face a fundamental strategic challenge: They must tap into real grievances and offer solutions, not simply mirror MAGA’s anger or strategy.
• Young people, especially men, feel left out by today’s Democratic Party and are susceptible to online radicalization due to both societal neglect and algorithmic incentives.
• The media landscape rewards outrage and division, making it harder for reasonable, solution-oriented politics to break through.
• Cuomo and Mockler agree on the importance of substantive debate, respectful engagement, and the need to build a politics focused on real-life issues like affordability, immigration, and social cohesion.

Closing Sentiment

Chris Cuomo and Adam Mockler exemplify the potential of open, probing, and sometimes uncomfortable conversation as a means of progress—reminding listeners that only with real engagement (not just more noise) can American politics chart a better path forward.