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- [00:00]
A
It is a coordinated plan to rig the elections because they can see the same polls weekend. They know that what they're doing is deeply, deeply, deeply unpopular. And the millions or billions that they're going to raise from the corrupt people around them are not going to be enough to save them. And so their only chance is to rig the elections. And we at the state level, but Democrats in Congress need to step up and do everything we can to call this out, point it out and make sure there are the resources to run free and fair elections because there is no chance that this administration wins if there's actually a real vote.
- [00:37]
B
I'm Sarah Ewal Weiss with the Daily Beast podcast in for host Joanna Coles. Today on the podcast, we have Alex Bores, a New York State assemblyman who is currently running for Congress's New York 12th district. We'll talk about his concerns about AI and the tech oligarchy's hold on the Trump White House. We'll get his thoughts on President Donald Trump in which members of his cabinet that he thinks Democrats should move to impeach. We'll also talk about his friendly rivalry with New York's Mayor Zoran Mamdani. But before we get into it, please take a moment and share this podcast with your friends. Invite them to subscribe to The Daily Beast YouTube channel. We have now reached our 500,000th follower, but we're gunning for a million and with your help, I think we can get there. So here's my conversation with Alex Boris. Alex, thank you so much for joining me. It's a pleasure to have you on. I know that President Donald Trump in the White House this week they announced their Advisory Council on Technology and Science. It's got a lot of big names on it, like the head of Nvidia, the Michael Dell for one. We've got Larry Ellison of Oracle, Mark Zuckerberg. You talk about being like Big AI's number one target, but when it's comes to the tech world, when you look at this list of folks who are advising Donald Trump at this given moment in time, who do you find the most disturbing or scary at this stage?
- [02:11]
A
This is, it's worse than putting the fox in charge of the henhouse. This is putting arsonists in charge of the fire department. I mean, we can ask industry for advice, they should be part of it. But to have a council that that is effectively just tech billionaires is a really worrying sign and one that, you know, shows whose thoughts are going to be really leading this and whose opinions are going to matter. There should be a broad spectrum of people on there. I think the most worrisome are the people who are not just giving technical advice, but also trying to shift elections. So Marc Andreessen is part of this council. He. He is also the founder of Leading the Future, the $125 million super PAC that has named me public enemy number one, but is also being used to try to intimidate Congress members throughout the country from touching AI at all. He's a radical, radical activist. At this point, it's unclear why he should be even being listened to in terms of policy.
- [03:12]
B
When it comes to big AI, you talk about being public enemy number one. I mean, what are your biggest concerns with this rapidly expanding industry right now?
- [03:22]
A
First of all, I am with the public. I am oligarchy enemy number one. And I think that's important to point out. These are people who are not listening to the public. They know their views are not popular, and they are trying to drown out the public with $125 million. This technology is moving so quickly, and it could. Could bring a lot of really wonderful advances. I use it quite frequently. I'm very excited for what it could do in medical research. But right now, the decisions about it are being made effectively by five billionaires. And the American people want a say in how it develops. I'm really worried about what it means for the labor force. I'm worried for what it means for our children on both how they're learning. Are we updating our education system, our pedagogy, to still teach critical thinking, but. But also some of the tragic incidents that we've had with chatbots as companies have rolled out this technology and these products without thinking about what the potential impacts could be. I'm worried about how the impact that AI will have on our democracy, not just from the spending hundreds of millions of dollars, but from the role that deepfakes are playing in making it harder to have real conversations. And I'm worried about some of the truly catastrophic risks that could come from really advanced AI development. You know that most Americans aren't strictly, you know, anti AI, tear it down or pro AI, let it rip. They want there to be reasonable guardrails. That's what I'm fighting for.
- [04:52]
B
When you talk about Trump being in bed with the tech oligarchy, what are your biggest concerns on what they can do or how they can deal with him?
- [05:03]
A
The tech oligarchy are primarily concerned with their own profits. They are not concerned with protecting the American people. And sometimes those incentives will align and lead to innovation, but other times it'll lead to surveillance of the American people. We still don't have a national data privacy law, and I wonder if they're advocating for that. These are also all of the same people that were pushing against the export controls on AI chips. They were the ones who were the loudest cheerleaders for sending advanced technology to China. And so I don't think they fundamentally have Americans interests at heart. I think they have their own profitability at heart. Doesn't mean they don't have a seat at the table, but they certainly shouldn't have all of the seats at the table. And there certainly should be people who we know are standing up for Americans who are really pushing forward and being the main drafters of this policy.
- [05:59]
B
I want to follow up on that. Do you think President Trump or folks in his administration have the knowledge or experience to push back or contradict these folks that they have in the room when it comes to the industry leaders?
- [06:16]
A
No, I think many of the people in the Trump administration don't know the difference between a server and a waiter. I think these are not experts in technology and are not coming with their own vision of how it could serve people. They're coming with a vision of how it can serve their donors. And as long as you write a big enough check to the campaign, to the inauguration, to the White House ballroom, you then get to write a piece of Trump's AI policy. I mean, let's be clear, his AI policy is the most distinct from his policy everywhere else. Everywhere else, he's about tariffs and reshoring things in America and restricting trade. And then with AI, he wants to send the most advanced chips to China. This is a policy where they are not being consistent. They are not being. They're not coming with an ideology. It is about what is best for them and their donors. Are you stuck staring at your W2? Are tax refund worries holding you back? You probably have FOMO. The fear of messing up the fix using TurboTax on Intuit credit Karma, they find every credit and deduction to help you get every refund dollar you deserve or your money back. It's time to overcome your fear of messing up and get your taxes done right. Start filing today in the Credit Karma app.
- [07:41]
B
I'm curious if you followed the whole breakup between the Pentagon and Anthropic. Basically this was really about guardrails, essentially, according to the company, specifically with mass surveillance as well as fully autonomous weaponsry. And I wanted to find out from you, like, were you surprised that the company actually stood up to the administration, or that a massive tech company did stand up to the administration. In this type of case,
- [08:11]
A
it's certainly not the norm. So it was encouraging to see a company really stand on their grounds. But I think what is sometimes lost in that noise is that companies are not just talking to the administration, they're talking to their employees and they're talking to their other customers. And. And you want to recruit the best and the brightest to work for you as a company. Engineers want to know that what they're working on is going to be used for good. And so to have a company, if the US Government wants access to that technology, they want the best and brightest developments, then having real conversations with companies about what it'll be used for is an important part of that process, because otherwise talent can walk across the door, across the street and go work with someone else. If you really want to the US Government to have the best capabilities, it's important that sometimes you say, yes, we're only going to use it under these circumstances, with this democratic control that's important in any administration. It's especially important when we have the most lawless administration we've ever seen.
- [09:18]
B
I do want to talk a little bit about your background in a moment because you do come from this industry. But before I do, I just want to get your Broadway take top three, maybe on the things that you think are most important to regulate. When it comes to AI, how should it be regulated?
- [09:35]
A
You know, I put out a plan about a month and a half ago that had eight points, and now you're making me choose my top three on that. But I do think it's shake it up a bit. I know, I know. I'm trying to choose between my children here. I think the impact on kids is really first and foremost. I think the impact on the labor force is really important. And then I'm going to give you four. I'm sorry, I can't choose three. But I'm going to say kids, the labor force, the environmental impacts, and then the truly catastrophic risks. The way we're talking about this is an arms race, and what could go wrong if we're not putting guardrails on the most extreme uses. All of those really, really worry me.
- [10:22]
B
I do have a question. You're in your 30s. We're talking about a Congress that's much older than you as the median age. I'm actually going to quote Ted Cruz. Maybe not a close ally politically to you, but he did say, quote, to be honest, Congress doesn't know what the hell it's doing in this area. This is an institution. I think the median age of The Senate is 142. This is not the tech savvy group. And I want to get your take on. Do you have faith in the elder members of Congress properly regulating AI and technology at this stage as it moves so rapidly?
- [11:01]
A
I think I am running for many reasons, but one is that we need people that actually do understand this technology in Congress. I am running to bring that expertise. I have a master's degree in computer science. I have two patents. I worked in the industry for nearly a decade. So I understand both how AI works on a technical level and the incentives that the companies have. Now not everyone in Congress can be an expert on everything. In fact it's impossible given all of the things that Congress needs to deal with. But the fact that there is currently only one Democrat in Congress with a degree in computer science and I think only two Republicans with a degree in computer science, I don't know that we have the both broad expertise that is needed there and perhaps more importantly the willingness to really stand up to these guys to be able to say no, you're wrong, you can't. Just, just because you're coming from one of the big technology companies doesn't make you an expert. Especially when it's the lobbyists who are coming who don't actually have a background in the technology and to be able to call them out on some of the things they say that are not true and be able to advance the conversation forward. We need people willing to do that. And this race is kind of become a test of that because Leading the Future has said they're going to spend $10 million against me and have publicly said that they want to make an example out of me. Who are they making an example for every other member of Congress to say if you actually stand up to us, we are going to come after your job. I think it's really important you show every member of Congress that you can still win while standing up for people and standing against some of the most extreme people in AI.
- [12:44]
B
I know one of the things that has been used against you is your background at Palantir. And I just wanted to ask you like what were you doing at that company? What can you share about your time there?
- [12:55]
A
Yeah. The irony is that the people who are funding the super PAC love Palantir, one of the co founders of the super PAC and is a co founder of Palantir itself. So they are just throwing spaghetti at the wall I joined Palantir during the Obama administration because I thought that tech can and should be a force for good. I worked with the Department of Justice to fight the opioid epidemic and to go after the big banks for their role in the Great Recession. While I was there, we recovered $20 billion for taxpayers from the banks that committed fraud in order to make more profit. I worked with Veterans affairs to better staff their hospitals and give veterans the care they deserve and need. I worked with the CDC to track epidemics. And then separate from me, there was a project that Palantir spun up with a section within ICE called hsi, Homeland Security Investigations, that during the Obama administration, the work was about anti human trafficking, anti drug trafficking, things that I think everyone would support. And then Trump comes in, takes office in 2017, tries to change the nature of the work everywhere, including at the Department of Justice, where I was leading the work and tried to get us to work on immigration, and I said no. And the structure of our contract was set up where I could do that. It was three mutually agreed upon case types. Executives at Palantir made a different choice when it came to the work at ice. They didn't put in the guardrails that would stop us from working on some of the. I mean, awful things then, but compared to what we're seeing now. Oh, my gosh. But even then, they didn't put in the guardrails. And when they made that clear to employees that they weren't gonna do it, I quit.
- [14:37]
B
Are you still in touch with folks over there by any chance or since?
- [14:41]
A
Yeah, fewer and fewer by the day, but yes.
- [14:45]
B
Ever run across Peter Thiel in your time there?
- [14:48]
A
I think I passed him in the hall once. I don't think we've ever actually had a conversation. Yeah.
- [14:54]
B
Okay. I want to go back to something, a more serious note that you did make. At one point, you talk about ICE and its use of AI, and I want to find out from you what you find most concerning about what potentially is happening. How do you think ICE is using AI at this time under the second Trump administration?
- [15:15]
A
Well, it's using AI to try to figure out where people are and is making a lot of assumptions on that is, in general, you would be worried about understanding and having explainability on how any of those algorithms are working with this administration that is just setting broad quotas on the number of people to pull off the street and isn't actually concerned with if they're talking about violent criminals or peaceful neighbors. Those mistakes probably aren't even seen as Mistakes, they're just being viewed as more places to send agents. So the use of AI by ICE is concerning. Even more concerning is just ICE's goals right now is just to send these violent thugs into our streets to try to round up our peaceful neighbors. The rot of this agency has gone so, so deep. And we not just need to abolish ice, we need to completely dismantle this agency and we need to prosecute agents and those giving them the orders that are violating the law.
- [16:18]
B
In terms of how Congress has been handling this fight over ice, as this is recording, we could have the vote the House passing legislation to fund DHS without ICE enforcement. What's your take on how Democrats have been navigating this fight over ICE funding so far?
- [16:39]
A
The Trump position is so nonsensical and self defeating and the Democrats are right to point that out. ICE is now like would be one of the largest militaries in the world in terms of the amount of funding that has gone into it. And the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are holding out and shutting down the government in response to requiring even more funding for ice. I mean, that is a horrific demand. And then as we are, they're not paying TSA workers who are, many of them are obviously walking off the job, taking other jobs. Workers deserve to be paid and so they try to supplement that by sending ICE agents to airports. I thought ICE needed more funding according to the Trump administration, but now they can take on extra jobs. I mean, we should not be giving this agency any more funding. We should have the Trump administration completely owning this, the horror that they are pushing forward. And I think Democrats should be holding the line on that. This is a pit that Trump has dug himself into and we should continue to point to it and continue to insist that this agency be abolished. Fox News is now streaming live on Fox 1. When news breaks, we don't just report it. We go beyond the headlines to get the full story, get live coverage in depth analysis and perspectives from the voices you trust all in one place. Whether you're at home or on the go, stay connected to the stories shaping our world Stream. Fox News on FOX one download. Today
- [18:21]
B
you are in state politics in New York. Obviously the president you mentioned send ICE into airports, including ones in New York City. There's been talk among MAGA folks, Steve Bannon in particular, about using ICE during the midterms as a state lawmaker currently. Like what? What is the conversation like in New York amongst you and other state lawmakers about the concerns for the upcoming midterms? When it comes to the Trump administration.
- [18:52]
A
Oh, we're looking at everything that the Trump administration is saying and realizing that these are all related. Right. So sending ICE to the polling places to intimidate people, which is all they would be doing, right? Polling places, you have to be a citizen to vote. There's no reason for even in any world where ICE should be there, it is just to intimidate voters. We want to make that clear. We also want to make sure that the polling places are safe and done with state resources and do all we can to be preventing ICE from coming there. But when I say we're looking at everything, notice that what another action they're taking is trying to crack down on mail in voting. So they're saying, we're going to intimidate you at the polling place. And if your response is, well, I'm going to get a mail in ballot, so I'm not interacting with agents. No, we're going to crack down on that, too. It is a coordinated plan to rig the elections because they can see the same polls weekend. They know that what they're doing is deeply, deeply, deeply unpopular. And the millions or billions that they're going to raise from the corrupt people around them are not going to be enough to save them. And so their only chance is to rig the elections. And we at the state level, but Democrats in Congress need to step up and do everything we can to call this out, point it out, and make sure there are the resources to run free and fair elections, because there is no chance that this administration wins if there's actually a real vote.
- [20:15]
B
You mentioned vote by mail. Just curious your thoughts when you saw that Donald Trump voted by mail this week in Florida.
- [20:23]
A
Trump is a hypocrite. Newsflash, he's a hypocrite on almost everything he's ever done. Of course, when it's convenient to him, when, when it helps him, then it's a good thing that expands democracy. But if it helps a normal American, well, then he's gonna spit on it. So, of course there's no problem with, in his mind, giving himself special treatment and kicking down American people. It's example number 285 of him doing it just this year.
- [20:51]
B
My favorite part is when he was asked about it, his excuse was, I'm President of the United States. And that's the reason he could do that while calling it cheating for everybody else. I want to move on, though, and just talk about the midterms. Big picture. I don't know if you're a guy who makes predictions or places bets. But I just wanted to find out what are your thoughts on how are you feeling right now about the Democratic Party and its chances in the midterms come November?
- [21:23]
A
I don't place bets, especially on political outcomes. And there should be a broader conversation about the legality of placing bets on political outcomes and ones that people control. But to give a fun no bet prediction, I think we're in a really strong place. As I am talking to, obviously voters here in New York have their own thoughts. But even talking broadly throughout the country, people are seeing with their own two eyes what the reality of this administration means. And they're asking why Republicans in Congress have been going along with in the one big beautiful bill, the largest wealth transfer from the poor to the rich that the country has ever done in the ICE raids, why they are supporting sending armed thugs into our communities to round up citizens and noncitizens alike and terrorize people just for going about their day. They're wondering why the president who ran on no foreign wars, managed to bomb seven countries in a year without getting authorization for any of them. They're realizing that Trump is mostly focusing on his own enrichment and his own corruption and is doing absolutely nothing to make your life or my life better. And they're asking these questions and saying, at what point will your actions match your words? They're too busy watching what Republicans are doing to listen to what they're saying. And so in November, I expect strong victories throughout the country. The House, I think, will certainly take back the majority, even with Trump trying to rig it through redistricting. The Senate is a tougher climb because of the nature of the map, but I think well within our possibilities. And when we take back either one or both houses of Congress, it will be on Democrats to be standing up to the Trump administration to be investigating, subpoenaing everyone who is doing any of the illegal activity there and really standing up for the American people.
- [23:28]
B
I think Democrats on Capitol Hill have a long list and maybe a big stack of subpoenas ready to go should they win in November. I am curious, are you on boards with, on board with the effort to impeach Donald Trump
- [23:42]
A
from a substance of it 100%. I haven't thought much about the politics of it. But like he has clearly committed impeachable offenses, multiple impeachable offenses. We've impeached him twice and sometimes that seems like it politically strengthens him. So that's a conversation to have afterwards if the question is, does this president deserve to be in office? Absolutely not. Has he committed impeachable offenses or what I think broadly are probably crimes? Absolutely, yes. What's the best way to hold him accountable and what's the best way to protect the American people and make sure we're delivering for that, I'd want to have more conversations, but certainly, certainly, he is not fit for office.
- [24:29]
B
Any particular offenses you mention? Top of mind at this stage.
- [24:34]
A
I mean, the raw corruption is the most obvious. The setting up the fund for foreign governments to buy his crypto coin and 25% of it goes straight into his back pocket, and then hosting dinners near government offices based on how much you gave is just like absolute quid pro quo in the most obvious way. We've already talked about what he's done with ice, and, you know, when Renee Goode was shot, I gave a speech that night, and I said, you know, the agent didn't pull that trigger by himself. Kristi Noem's hand was on the gun, and Donald Trump's hand was on the gun. When you tell agents to go into a community to hit a quota, you give them camo and masks and tell them that they are immune from any prosecution and send them into our cities. You know what could happen. You are setting up the tinder and lighting the match. And so, yes, I think you bear some responsibility for all of those deaths. Hey, there. It's me, John Stamos, in partnership with Cologuard. And a little birdie told me you're over 45. Listen, that's not old. It's really not. But it's an important age. If you're at average risk, that's when you start screening for colon cancer. And, look, it's okay to be nervous, but it's not okay to ignore your own health. It's time to see if the Cologuard test can be an option for you to get screened. All right, I'm glad we had this little chat.
- [26:08]
B
So this week, we got a new DHS secretary, Mark Wayne Mullen, former senator from Oklahoma. There were efforts in the House before he was sworn in to impeach his former secretary, Kristi Noem. I'm curious. When you look at the Trump Cabinet, there's been efforts also, or calls for, I should say, to impeach Robert Kennedy Jr. At HHS. Is there any one specifically in this Cabinet who you find to be the most problematic and you would push as a member of Congress to impeach?
- [26:43]
A
Oh, my gosh. I mean, I called for Kristi Noem to be impeached I would RFK is certainly not fit for Pam Bondi seems to be be doing just obvious collusion. There is a lot of really, I mean, Pete Hegseth like, it's just there's so many who are never fit for the job. But I think the broader question is, and the broader thing that Democrats need to think about is to realize that Trump can't do this by himself. Like, he does not care about the subpoenas. He has spent long enough finding ways to avoid the judicial system, and he's old enough now that it's not going to catch up to him. But everyone else around him does. People around Donald Trump have a habit of going to jail. And so it is important that Democrats realize that, realize that he cannot do this corruption by himself and be really forceful in holding everyone to account. That's how you start to change the incentives. When the people around Donald Trump know the end of the administration is coming and, and are getting the subpoenas, are getting the questions, they're going to think twice about continuing on with his corrupt plans. That's how you start to change the way this administration is functioning and kneecap their ability to hurt the American people.
- [28:00]
B
So is Donald Trump just immune at this point? It's everyone around him.
- [28:05]
A
Well, I don't think you give up, but I just think he has learned the lessons that it's not going to catch up to him. I'd love to prove him wrong, but I think even just by taking the actions around the people around him, you will see a change of behavior much more quickly than you will if the only person you're going after is Donald Trump.
- [28:23]
B
Fair enough. I want to talk to you about your specific race. It's kind of the Wild west feeling right now. It's a very blue district. It's a very crowded race. And I just wanted to find out what you think is your path to victory in this large group of folks who are all running to represent that district in Manhattan.
- [28:44]
A
I think I've become the overwhelming frontrunner in this race. I started as you know, I represent about 20% of the district already in the State Assembly. And in my coming on three and a half years in that time have passed 29 bills, which is about the same amount that Congress as a whole passed in 2023. And because of that, I was ranked by the center for Effective Lawmak as the most effective new legislator from New York City, which is something I'm really proud of. Now, all of us have seen politics enough to know that just doing your Job and passing the bills and working for people isn't always enough to win the next election. But this super PAC from Leading the Future that's come in has shown that of all of the candidates, there's, I think, eight of us still running, all of us promising to fight Donald Trump. There's only one candidate that Donald Trump's mega donors are spending millions of dollars against. And so Marc Andreessen, who we just discussed, and Ben Horowitz and Greg Brockman, the president of OpenAI, who in the second half of 2025 was Donald Trump's single largest mega donor. They have committed $10 million to stopping my run for Congress. And this is a very educated district. It's a very informed district. Include in district. And they realize that's not normal. And when they search and they say, oh, wait, everyone's promising to be Donald Trump's fighter or fighting against Donald Trump, but his mega donors have chosen the person that actually scares them. And they've chosen to go this hard against Alex, Boris, probably that's the guy that we should be sending there to fight on our behalf.
- [30:21]
B
You represent the district, you're obviously there engaged with people in your community. But is it weird to be running against these big names that have been names that Democrats have kind of flocked towards, especially more recently? I mean, we've got the grandson of jfk, and then we have a prominent anti Trumper, though formerly a Republican, and George Conway. I mean, is it a strange experience to be in your hometown, in your district and running against folks like this?
- [30:52]
A
Yeah, yeah. I'm born and raised here. I'm running to represent like my elementary school and middle school and high school and where I've spent nearly my entire life. And there are some people that treat New York 12 as sort of the world's congressional district or the country's congressional district. And there's a lot of local issues around our infrastructure funding, around the subway, around our housing, around our health care that I'm really excited to engage with people on. But I will say that there's two campaigns in this race that have raised millions with an S plural of dollars. And those two campaigns are mine and the Trump mega donors who are coming after me.
- [31:36]
B
As a through and through New Yorker, I actually recently learned that you have a relationship or had a good relationship with the mayor of New York City, Zoran Mamdani. I wanted to find out, I hear you played basketball up in Albany together. So I want to find out what is your relationship with the mayor like now that he's no longer, obviously headed up to Albany all the time.
- [32:01]
A
Yeah. And he's a little busier in his new job, but we've had a really good relationship. I've worked with him for three years plus in the assembly. He was always very personable, very engaging. There were issues that we agreed upon, that we worked really closely on. There were issues we disagreed upon. And we did that respectfully, if just as passionately. But he always came across as someone who was really focused on doing what he thought was right. And whether or not I always agreed with that vision, I could tell that he was. He was being genuine in it. You know, politics can be a weird arena, and Tuesday nights up in Albany, we would have a basketball game. Legislators could play, staff could play, advocates could play. But the rule was no talking about work. We were just there to play basketball, blow off steam, et cetera. And I played, he played. Neither of us were the best on the court, but it was always fun. And on his election night, I was talking to a reporter about the race, about him, et cetera, and gave a bunch of real conversation about the issues. And then at the end, they said, anything else? And I said, well, what he lacks in his jump shot technique, he more than makes up for in defensive hustle. And that ended up being the only quote that they used. And he, like, texted me a few days later, and he's like, you're calling out my jump shot now. And I'm like, that was a whole interview, you know, and so then last week, when he stepped up to the three with someone from the Knicks and drained the three pointer on his first shot, you know, I saw him later, I was like, okay, clearly the jump shot techniques improved.
- [33:49]
B
All right, well, then, honest answer. Only a one on one game. Who wins? You are the mayor.
- [33:55]
A
Oh, I destroy him. I destroy him.
- [33:59]
B
Team.
- [33:59]
A
He's an asset. You know, good defense, hustles. But yeah, no, he's got no shot. One on one. Yeah.
- [34:06]
B
All right, we'll find out about that one. I'll be there. If it ever happens, you let me know. With that said, though, I do want to get on a more serious note, he has had an interesting relationship with President Donald Trump since he took office. And I wanted to get your thoughts on. On how you've seen the mayor of New York, someone who you have a relationship with, navigating, dealing with President Donald Trump, also a native New Yorker.
- [34:33]
A
I'm very confident that Zorin would beat Donald Trump one on one in basketball, even given Trump's side advantage there. But, no, I mean, it shows the focus on doing what you have to to protect New Yorkers. Right. And so when there are times to stand up against opposition, I mean, Zorin called Trump a fascist to his face. When there are times when you can use flattery to get new housing built, great. It is a real pragmatism. And I think that is an important thing in politics of figuring out, ultimately it should be about helping our neighbors. Ultimately, it should be about making their lives better. And I think Zorin so far has done a great job of navigating with Trump the times when flattery will help get results for New Yorkers and the times when we need to stand up and push back.
- [35:30]
B
Get in the game with the college branded Venmo debit card. Rep your team with every tap and earn up to 5% cash back with Venmo. Stash a new rewards program from Venmo. No monthly fee, no minimum balance, just school pride and spending power. Get in the game and sign up for the Venmo debit card@venmo.com collegecard. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank. NA Select Schools available Venmo stash terms and exclusions apply at venmo me stashterms max $100 cash back per month. You are running for Congress in New York. The current minority leader in the House is a New York congressman. The current minority leader in the Senate is a New York senator. Would you support or do you support their leadership if you were elected to Congress come November?
- [36:18]
A
Well, there's no circumstance where I am in the Senate while Chuck Schumer is there, given that he's from New York. So really the question is about the House. And yes, I plan to vote for Hakeem Jeffries as leader. I think we've had more discharge petitions successful like the minority actually forcing a vote in in the past three, four months than we had in the 30 years before then. That doesn't mean there aren't things that I wish could be improved. And if someone else were to run, I'll have the conversation with them. But no, I think our focus right now should be less on these internal fights and more on the big flashing warning signs we are getting from Donald Trump. That needs to be our focus right now.
- [37:01]
B
What would you want to see more of? I mean, between now and November, even from the Democratic Party as it is currently in Washington?
- [37:10]
A
Yeah, there's the abbreviation about Trump, like Taco, where Trump always chickens out. We've had a few standoffs recently where it felt like Democrats were the ones that backed down. And I think we've in many cases chosen really good issues to stand up on, protecting health care, protecting our immigrant neighbors, fighting against the one big beautiful bill, and fighting for those who need a helping hand for economic assistance. But we've sort of taken a stance and then found an off ramp to it. And the American people are tired of that. They want actual results. And so I think making sure that it is Trump that that always chickens out and not the Democrats would be a nice change for the next few months.
- [38:08]
B
We talked a little bit about how Mamdani has navigated dealing with President Trump, but I actually am curious about your thoughts on how some other prominent names in the Democratic Party have dealt with Trump, one being Governor Gavin Newsom, obviously across the country from you in California. But he's taken a very different approach, a very combative approach, and really been breaking through some of the noise with some of his engagement, specifically on social media. And I was curious about what your thoughts were on that approach to dealing with the president and the administration.
- [38:41]
A
I think we should be trying everything. I think Democrats too often say, oh, this is the one right way to do it. And then everyone tries to fit into that mold. You know, for some people, it'll be having really serious policy takedowns. For some people, it'll be what you can do with the hearings. For some people, it'll be funny tweets like, great. The more the merrier. I think that if it gets under Donald Trump's skin to be tweeting in a certain way. But more to the point, if it helps Americans see the hypocrisy and the unseriousness of our, of our president in terms of really trying to help people, then that's a great thing. I don't. I think Democrats, we do a little too much of, like, policing our own message before. We just reach out and talk to voters and see what works and realize that voters are different people, voters are human, and different things will work for different people. So, you know, good on Gavin for trying that messaging. And it's certainly given me a chuckle or two.
- [39:39]
B
Fair. On the flip side, I am curious if you are elected to Congress, I mean, where do you see yourself or Democrats potentially having a place where you can work with President Donald Trump?
- [39:54]
A
I was all geared up for you to say with Congressional Republicans and have a bunch of places, but with Donald
- [39:59]
B
Trump, they follow Trump. So, I mean, you could say Congressional Republicans.
- [40:02]
A
Yeah. Although we have seen some bipartisan movement around housing. We've seen Some bipartisan movement around tech policy and AI policy, where actually I am excited about what the potentials are to work across the aisle. Trump seems bought and sold for by AI industries, but actually some of the Congressional Republicans have been willing to stand up against him on that regard for working with Trump. I mean, for me, the big one for this district is infrastructure. Trump envisions himself as a builder. New York 12 is a major infrastructure hub, a major transportation hub for the whole Eastern Seaboard. And we need to complete the gateway project and bring those good jobs to the district and also just make it easier to travel by train. We need to extend the Second Avenue subway both up and down the east side along Second Avenue. We need to have Penn Station redevelopment, Port Authority redevelopment, and working together to actually build and develop infrastructure and make the built environment better for people. That is one that we'll continue to work.
- [41:09]
B
It's actually funny you mentioned the Second Avenue subway because the President was asked about that during an event recently at the White House. And it was such a very specific, targeted question by a reporter I presume was from New York. He was so surprised. He was like, the Second Avenue subway. He's like, they're still building that. What? And it was actually just a comical moment where also you remember, he is from New York through and through. Originally, I want to talk about New York just more generally, because you're running in a district in an iconic city. I mean, we have a national audience. What do you think is maybe the misconceptions about New York or Manhattan that you'd like to share with the people watching as you're out on the ground in this district right now?
- [41:52]
A
Oh, my gosh. Misperceptions about New York. I think people throughout the country should realize that we may not always be nice, but we are kind. We are in a rush to get places. We are trying to do a lot of things. We might speak brusquely, but we actually really look out for each other. And I think you'll find you ask a New Yorker for directions, you'll actually get real directions. We want people coming and visiting the city and seeing, you know, share. I love nothing more than being able to share my love of the city with people that come and visit. I will yell at you if you walk five across on the sidewalk, but please come. Please experience it. We are so proud of this city and that it really is the world city. So come visit. We're in a rush. We don't mean to be too brusque, but we do really care.
- [42:49]
B
It's interesting you mentioned that. So I'm also a native New Yorker, and I will say, I always tell people when they go to New York, I was like, no one's gonna stop for you and, like, say anything to you when you're getting out of the subway. But if they see you struggling without communicating, they will, like, help you get up out of the subway and then just keep going. Like they're, like, on a mission. But they will, like, do the work and bring people along, which I always thought was a funny, like, anecdote that explains it so well. They're. They're in a rush, but they are kind human beings and they might.
- [43:19]
A
They might curse you out under their breath as they do it, but they are going to help you.
- [43:23]
B
They're going to do it.
- [43:23]
A
Yeah, yeah.
- [43:24]
B
They're going to help you lift up that stroller. They're going to help you lift the box or the couch if you're trying to move a couch through the subway. It's. It is kind of comical that I think people actually see that when they. When they visit New York. Curious. I feel like you're going to have trouble answering this one as you're out and about. I mean, east side versus west side, they put the district together. How challenging is it for you to be campaigning on what used to be two separate districts on the west side of the. Of Central Park? You're obviously east side of Central park, but what has been your experience there? What's like, what can you say about east side versus west side and campaigning on the ground?
- [44:03]
A
I think they're. Both sides have a deep. And throughout the entire district, I should say, it goes down to, like, for, you know, 12th street, you know, and so it's not just Upper east and Upper West. The entire district has real pride of place. And it is so densely packed that it's actually the smallest geographic district in the country. But it feels so large because all of these small little micro neighborhoods have their local bodega or their local institution or their local park. And so recognizing that, they feel very distinct and sometimes the issues are quite distinct. But what binds them all together is this deep pride of place has been really fun and getting to. You know, I've been all over Manhattan, obviously, growing up here, being born and raised here, but also even in elected office, I've spent a lot of time throughout the district because I work with colleagues on issues throughout. I mean, one of my big initiatives in the state legislature, which was an amendment to the New York State constitution that would allow lots of regions, but especially Manhattan, to be able to get more judges. And so I've been in all parts of Manhattan talking about that issue. So it's fun. It's the same way we all have pride in New York City. The people in Chelsea have pride of Chelsea and of the Upper west side and of Yorkville and of Turtle Bay. And, you know, it's been great to experience all these micro neighborhoods.
- [45:40]
B
I'm going to put you on the spot with my last question, but for those visiting your district that you want to represent, recommendations on where they got to stop for food.
- [45:49]
A
Oh, man. Yeah. So I will say that everywhere you go is going to be great. And I mean that New York is a culinary city. You should find, like my description of New York, let alone my district, is you can get whatever you want, wherever you are at any time of day, and you should take advantage of that and really enjoy. I'm going to defer on any specific recommendations.
- [46:25]
B
I told you I was putting on the spot with this last one.
- [46:27]
A
Yeah, yeah. But I will. I will stand by. The food you're going to have here is excellent. And please come try it all.
- [46:37]
B
All right, Alex, Boris, it's a pleasure speaking with you. Good luck on your race and thank you.
- [46:42]
A
Thank you. It was a pleasure speaking with you as well. Thanks for having me.
- [46:48]
B
And that is our podcast today. I think one thing I will say is, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Zoran Mandani. If you're going to have a one on one basketball game, I would very much love to be there. I think the challenge is set and we're all ready to go for that one. But with that, I want to remind our viewers to subscribe to our YouTube channel, share this podcast with your friends and we love to hear from you. So please feel free to chime in online, follow us on social media, be it Twitter, TikTok, Bluesky, Instagram. We love to get your thoughts and we will try to incorporate them into future conversations with that. I am Sarah Ewal Weiss with the Daily Beast. So the good news is we have
- [47:32]
A
so many Beast Tier members now, there
- [47:35]
B
are too many names to read out.
- [47:37]
A
And we really appreciate your support.
- [47:39]
B
Thanks to our production team. Devon Rogerino, Ryan Murray, Rachel Passer, Heather Passaro, Neil Rosenhaus.