Zohran Mamdani & Brad Lander (Extended)

Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert: Episode featuring Zohran Mamdani & Brad Lander (Extended)
Release Date: June 24, 2025

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Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show Pod Show" delivers an engaging and insightful episode featuring New York City mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander. This extended episode delves deep into pressing political issues, the dynamics of the upcoming mayoral race, and the candidates' visions for the future of New York City. Below is a comprehensive summary of the episode's key discussions, complete with notable quotes and timestamps.

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1. Introduction and Current Affairs

War in the Middle East
The episode kicks off with Stephen Colbert addressing the recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East. He highlights President Trump's sudden announcement of strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, labeling the operation as "Operation Midnight Hammer." Colbert expresses skepticism about the legitimacy and necessity of the action, questioning the reliability of the intelligence behind it.

"It's hard to trust Donald Trump to be the one making these kinds of decisions. It kind of feels like we're all in the backseat while the Uber driver goes on a road rage."
— Stephen Colbert [07:15]

Colbert critiques the administration's communication style, mocking the lack of substantive evidence provided to justify the strikes and the vague messaging that followed.

Intervention and Operation Midnight Hammer
The discussion shifts to the specifics of the military operation, emphasizing the use of B2 stealth bombers and Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs). Colbert questions the administration's rationale, pointing out inconsistencies in the intelligence presented.

"Because America's spies said Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon. Okay, okay, hold on. Are they sure?"
— Stephen Colbert [09:45]

JD Vance's Defense
JD Vance, representing the administration, attempts to justify the actions by stating that the decision was based on presidential instincts rather than concrete intelligence, which Colbert dismantles with humor and criticism.

"Is the United States now at war with Iran? No, we're not at war with Iran, John. We're at war with Iran's nuclear program."
— JD Vance [11:00]

Colbert sarcastically responds, highlighting the absurdity of the justification.

"I'm not cheating on you with Stacey. I'm cheating on you with parts of Stacey."
— Stephen Colbert [11:08]

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2. New York City Mayoral Race

Overview of the Mayoral Election
Stephen Colbert transitions to the local election scene, emphasizing the significance of the New York City mayoral primary and its national implications. He provides a rundown of the candidates, highlighting the crowded field of 14 candidates, including notable figures like Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer, Whitney Tilson, Zelnor Myhrey, and Adrienne Adams.

"The frontrunner for most of this race has been former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 after being accused of multiple counts of sexual harassment, which explains his campaign slogan, Cuomo 2025."
— Stephen Colbert [19:31]

Focus on Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander
The spotlight narrows to Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander, two leading candidates who have cross-endorsed each other within the framework of ranked-choice voting. Colbert introduces them, setting the stage for a deep dive into their campaigns.

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3. Interview with Candidates: Mamdani & Lander

Cross-Endorsement Strategy
Colbert begins by addressing the unusual strategy of Mamdani and Lander endorsing each other, questioning the dynamics and reasoning behind this alliance.

"But you're endorsing each other. How does that work?"
— Stephen Colbert [21:22]

Brad Lander's Perspective
Lander explains the collaboration stems from a mutual desire to oust the controversial Andrew Cuomo from candidacy, emphasizing their combined positive vision for the city.

"When I first met Zoran, he was leading an effort to help taxi drivers who were under crushing debt... I find it inspiring."
— Brad Lander [21:22]

Zohran Mamdani's Response
Mamdani highlights Lander's credentials and their shared commitment to progressive policies, advocating for a politics rooted in collaboration and sincerity.

"We understand that it's time for a politics of the future. And that means a politics of collaboration, a politics of sincerity, a politics of principle."
— Zoran Mamdani [22:12]

National Significance of the Race
Colbert probes why the New York mayoral race has garnered national attention, considering endorsements from prominent figures like Representative Jim Clyburn.

"Why do you think this particular race has become a countrywide story?"
— Stephen Colbert [22:49]

Mamdani responds by framing the race as a battleground between organized money and grassroots movements, reflecting broader national political trends.

"It's a battle of organized money versus organized people... Do we move forward with a new generation of leadership?"
— Zoran Mamdani [23:19]

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4. Candidates' Stances on Israel and Anti-Semitism

Support for Israel
Colbert directs a crucial question to both candidates regarding their stance on the existence of Israel.

"Does the state of Israel have the right to exist?"
— Stephen Colbert [23:58]

Both candidates affirm Israel's right to exist, with nuanced positions on upholding international law and addressing regional conflicts.

"I support the vision of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state."
— Brad Lander [24:17]

"Yes. Like all nations, I believe it has a right to exist and a responsibility also to uphold international law."
— Zoran Mamdani [24:25]

Addressing Anti-Semitism
Colbert raises concerns about rising anti-Semitism in New York City, questioning how the candidates plan to protect the Jewish community.

"There are many people in New York... who are afraid that your mayorship would actually lead to increased anti-Semitism."
— Stephen Colbert [24:30]

Mamdani responds empathetically, sharing personal anecdotes and outlining his proposals to combat hate crimes.

"At the heart of my proposal for a Department of Community Safety is a commitment to increase funding for anti-hate crime programming by 800%."
— Zoran Mamdani [25:18]

Lander echoes the sentiment, emphasizing unity between Jewish and Muslim communities and the importance of inclusive policies.

"Jews, Jewish New Yorkers, and Muslim New Yorkers are not going to be divided from."
— Brad Lander [27:45]

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5. Immigration and Federal Policies

Brad Lander's ICE Intervention
Colbert highlights Brad Lander's recent incident where he was handcuffed by ICE agents while assisting an immigrant, questioning his ability to handle federal immigration policies as mayor.

"Why was that important for you to do? And as mayor, what ability will you have to resist the federal authorities on immigration policy that you think is abusive?"
— Stephen Colbert [30:24]

Lander explains his actions as part of a broader effort to provide legal assistance to asylum seekers, criticizing recent DHS policies that undermine asylum rights.

"The city of New York should be paying for legal representation for people who are facing deportation."
— Brad Lander [31:45]

Mamdani's Vision for Community Safety
Mamdani discusses his approach to immigration and community safety, advocating for humane and nonviolent methods to address federal overreach.

"Let the police do the critical work that they do towards creating public safety. Let's create a Department of Community Safety..."
— Zoran Mamdani [37:00]

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6. Governance, Public Services, and Quality of Life

Addressing Corruption and Public Goods
Both candidates stress the importance of transparent and efficient city governance. They critique the current administration's handling of public funds and advocate for better investment in public services.

"We have to care just as much about public excellence. We have to deliver the best quality of life in this city."
— Zoran Mamdani [39:10]

Combatting Homelessness and Mental Health
Lander outlines his commitment to ending street homelessness, particularly for individuals with serious mental illnesses, proposing increased funding for mental health services.

"My number one pledge in this campaign is to end street homelessness for people with serious mental illness."
— Brad Lander [39:48]

Revitalizing the City
Mamdani and Lander discuss strategies to restore vitality to New York City by improving public infrastructure, enhancing safety, and ensuring the cleanliness of neighborhoods.

"We don't have right now top flight people running every city agency. But think about what it could be as an answer to Donald Trump..."
— Brad Lander [38:26]

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7. Closing Remarks and Encouragement to Vote

As the episode wraps up, Colbert injects humor into the competitive nature of the race, encouraging listeners to participate in the democratic process.

"Well, if you're a New Yorker and you haven't voted yet, make sure to get out there tomorrow and vote for several candidates of your choices."
— Stephen Colbert [40:55]

He reiterates the importance of the mayoral race and the candidates' visions for a better New York City, leaving listeners with a call to action to engage in the upcoming election.

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Conclusion

This episode of "The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert" offers a thorough exploration of the New York City mayoral race, spotlighting Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander's campaigns amidst national and international tensions. Colbert masterfully balances humor with critical analysis, providing listeners with a nuanced understanding of the candidates' policies and the broader political landscape.

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Note: This summary is based on a transcript of the podcast episode released on June 24, 2025. Timestamps correspond to the transcript's timeline.

Transcript

[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

Exactly. I mean, even out of the shell, it's still a nut.

[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

You. I'm not disparaging the nut. I'm describing the nut.

[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

I'm not. I am celebrating the pistachio right now. I'm on board. I love pistachios. I love. I love crushed pistachio. Like a pistachio crusted trout. Oh, unbelievable. Instead of a trout amandine, a trout pistachio. Fantastic. Enough butter? Who cares?

[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

And I love pistachio ice cream.

[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

I didn't even know I get them.

[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

But that's. You see, it's been a while since I've been the spokesman for wonderful pistachios. I didn't realize we'd achieved new pistachio technology.

[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

That was a wonderful.

[Stephen Colbert]

I wonder what more there is to learn. We just told them so much. We just told them so much about pistachios. But evidently there's a whole other world. There's an unexplored vista.

[Jon Batiste]

They got a bunch of flavors. They got dill pickle, jalapeno lime, as we learned, smoky barbecue. There's a lot of different flavors.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. And I would not disparage any of them.

[Jon Batiste]

No, no, no.

[Stephen Colbert]

Bring it on.

[Jon Batiste]

Nothing bad to say.

[Stephen Colbert]

Nut me, nut. Nut me with nut meat.

[Jon Batiste]

We're nut.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, we got nothing but nut. Nutty, nutty, nutty, nutty. Talk about, talk about, talk about, talk about nutty. Good.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Can I take your order?

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[Stephen Colbert]

Thank you, everybody. Welcome, one and all to the Late Show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. This weekend, you can check your calendars on me here. This weekend was the official start of summer, as my audience knows all too well. Thank you. Thank you, you brave souls, for waiting outside in the humidity that the weather chann described as the devil's trouser chili. What else is going on? What else is going on? Oh, right. We're at war in the Middle east again. At least it sure looks that way. Yeah. And it happened a lot sooner than anyone thought. Last week, Trump's press secretary said this. I have a message directly from the president, and I quote, based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks. That would have been perfect for me because we would have been on vacation next week and I wouldn't have known any of this was happening. Now I'm going to have to cancel my reservation at Sandals Fordo. But on Saturday. Just Saturday, Right? This is just Saturday. On Saturday, Trump surprised the world, announcing that the US Launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. Now were we facing an imminent threat? I don't know. On one hand, Iran's slogan isn't life to America, but it's hard to trust Donald Trump to be the one making these kinds of decisions. It kind of feels like we're all in the backseat while the Uber driver goes on a road rage. Hey, hey, hey, hey, buddy. We're in the car too, okay? And if we're dead, we can't give you five stars. That is my hard rule for rating drivers. If I'm dead, no arrive alive. I'm giving five. Trump addressed for a couple minutes later on Saturday night and wrapped it up in just the weirdest way. I want to just thank everybody, and in particular, God. I want to just say, we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them. Okay. It's a nice sentiment, you know, but a weird way to say it. Yes, I have always been a devout believer in God. We love you, God. I know we haven't always been on the greatest terms since I made the deal with the guy with the pokey head and the flaming hooves, but point is, you rock, big guy. Stay in school. Have a great summer. Namaste. Namaste. After the bombs were dropped on Sunday, Trump posted this message with a key. The great B2 pilots have just landed safely in Missouri. Thank you for a job well done, Donnucked J. Trump, President of the United States. Yes, yes, yes, J. Trump. Spoken like a man who got Dunocked in Danaggin. We're learning more about the actual bombing, the attack plan, its code name, Operation Midnight Hammer. And no, it's not porn. Yet. Here's what happened. In order to avoid detection, the plan was carried out by seven B2 stealth bombers. And is this true? I'm told we have a picture of the stealth planes. Wow.

[Brad Lander]

They are good.

[Stephen Colbert]

The planes were carrying 30,000 pound bombs known as bunker busters, officially called MOPS, or Massive Ordnance Penetrators. The most phallic sounding weapon since the Tomahawk cruise schwants. So America's spies must have truly compelling intelligence indicating that Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon. Or not. Because America's spies said Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon. Okay, okay, hold on. Are they sure? Maybe our top spies just didn't have time to do a thorough check because they were too busy hanging off of a biplane. But if the intelligence wasn't there, how did Trump decide it was time to attack Iran's nuclear program? Well, according to a senior administration official, it was based on a feeling the President had. If you are making a decision that could endanger the lives of American troops and civilians. Help me out, legal scholars. What does that require? Thank you. Amen. Thank you. Amen. Thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for that, staff. And remember, this isn't America's first military industrial rodeo. I've been making jokes about whether or not we should be going to war in the Middle east for 22 years. I did jokes from the Middle east for the service people who were sent into harm's way based on no credible intelligence. But I will say this. I will say this. Sure, sure. I will say this about the Bush administration. At least they respected us enough to lie to us. Apparently, the Trump administration does not give a damn what we think. They're not presenting any evidence. Just, come on, guys, just at least scare us a little. I miss the days when Colin Powell went to the UN Security Council and passionately waved a tube of Country Time lemonade powder. I mean, just that much. Just that much of the powder could have refreshed everyone in that building. Trump should be out there telling us that Iran is hiding 50 tons of mustard gas on a turkey farm. Or 50 tons of mustard turkey on a gas farm, or human animal hybrids or anything. Just sell it with sizzle. This is just lazy. It's got low production values. Imagine if the next Transformers movie was just like, you know what? I think we're just gonna stay cars in this one. Put some effort in. No, I'm mad. This is me mad. What's going to happen next? Whatever happens next. You know they're going to make J.D. vance go on TV and embarrass himself, because here's what he said on Sunday to sell this war. That is definitely not a war.

[JD Vance]

Is the United States now at war with Iran? No, we're not at war with Iran, John. We're at war with Iran's nuclear program.

[Stephen Colbert]

Nope, nope. That's not how it works, honey. I'm not cheating on you with Stacey. I'm cheating on you with parts of Stacey. Stacy. Very selective. And yes, and yes, we do call it Operation Midnight Hammer. Then. Pretty. So pretty. Then JD Sauntered over to press the meet with Kristen Welker. What do you say to members of Congress who say it was unconstitutional for.

[JD Vance]

The President to act unilaterally? First of all, the president has clear authority to act to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. And the worst weapon of mass destruction of them all is nuclear.

[Stephen Colbert]

Debatable. For my money, the worst weapon of mass destruction is the Taco Bell. Triple loopa. If this all feels like deja vu, Vance promises this time is different.

[JD Vance]

I certainly empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. But the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, yes, back then. He's got a point. Back then we had dumb presidents, and now we have Donacht. J. Trump. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. He. He is smarked. You will remember back in 2003, the US went into Iraq with the specific goal of toppling Saddam Hussein. This time, Vance promises that's not the idea.

[JD Vance]

Does the United States support Israel killing Iran's leader? Well, look, that's up to the Israelis, but our view has been very clear that we don't want a regime change.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, great. Loud and very clear and immediately contradicted by the President, who posted. It's not politically correct to use the term regime change, but if the current Iranian regime is unable to make Iran great again, why wouldn't there be a regime change? Mega. Mega. Because your whole damn thing is America first. You can't just hand other countries your slogan. That's like if McDonald's had an ad campaign that said, I'm loving it. It being Burger King. No, no, I'm mad. No. God bless her. I'm sorry. You had a seat. Let it out. Let it out. Today. Today, Iran launched missiles against two U.S. bases, including one in Qatar. But both Qatar and the Trump administration were made aware of the Iranian attack ahead of time. And so, thankfully, no casualties were reported. Hopefully, that'll be the end, but who knows, because immediately after the strikes on Saturday, Iran warned there would be everlasting consequences. Everlasting consequences. Also the slogan of Taco Bell's triplepa. We got a great show for you tonight. More Late show hot show after this. Tomorrow is a big election here in New York. It's the Democratic mayoral primary. And if history is any guide, the winner of that race will go on to become the next most hated New Yorker. Now, we don't talk about local races a lot here, but the race for mayor of New York City has national implication. Previous New York mayors Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio all ran for president. And our current mayor, Eric Adams, appears to be running for prime minister of Turkey. He'd be great. He'd be great. Spends a lot of time there. This year, there are 14 candidates, including state Senator Jessica Ramos, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, businessman Whitney Tilson, State Senator Zelnor Myhrey and the unfortunately named New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who is in no way related to the deeply unpopular current New York Mayor, Eric Adams. That's a tough break for her, but not as rough as it was for the independent candidate, Adolph Jared from Subway Cosby. No relation. The frontrunner for most of this race has been former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 after being accused of multiple counts of sexual harassment, which explains his campaign slogan, Cuomo 2025. Your hair smells real nice. Cuomo's lead in the polls has recently tightened over one of my guests tonight, State Assemblyman Zoran Mamdani. Now, Mamdani Mamdani is a Democratic socialist who has promised to freeze rent and make buses free citywide. Sorry. No sorry. New Yorkers know there's no such thing as a free ride. People come from all over the world to this city just to pay $3 to sit next to the mystery puddle. Before he got into politics, Mamdani used two as a rapper known as Mr. Cardamom. Of course, all the best rappers have seasoning inspired Mr. Cardamom, Ice Spice, and of course, Old Dirty Nutmeg. Recently, Mom Donnie received the endorsement of Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders. I like. I tell you, folks, I like this young man. He reminds me of a young me. Progressive, charismatic, and he raps. I fight for the workers and I'm only getting louder Gonna dunk your butt in a cup of corn chowder. Hey, soup. My third. The race is getting nollie. Mushroom volley. The first third. In third place is my other guest tonight, Comptroller Brad Lander, who recently. Lander recently made national headlines when he was manhandled and detained by masked federal agents simply for trying to accompany an immigrant out of a courtroom. That is shameful. Lander is New York City's elected comptroller. While he was in custody for hours, the city didn't have anyone in comptrol. What? Who was trolling all the comps? He was counting all the comptrolicons. I don't. It's a stupid name for a job. Why are so many people running for the job? Because New York City. Hello. What's up? Here's no. Why are so many people running for the job? Because New York City has adopted a system called ranked choice voting, where voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than pick just one. Because voters can list multiple names on their ballot, candidates are telling the supporters who else to vote for so far in the race. My two guests tonight Mamdani and Lander have cross endorsed each other, which I believe. There they are. Mamdani and Lander. Which I believe means when you vote for both of them, you can just use their celebrity couple name. Ma' Am Dandander. Coming up, New York City mayoral candidates Zahran Mamdani and Brad Lander.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Availability. Ladies and gentlemen, my next are two account em, two candidates who want to be the next mayor of New York. Please welcome New York State Assemblyman Zoran Mamdani and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining me here. Each of you are running to be mayor of New York. And to be clear, I am not endorsing either one of you. Okay? In fact, so much so that you guys are gonna switch seats a little bit later in this interview. But you're endorsing each other. How does that work? Why is this for each of you? Question. Why is this your number two guy?

[Brad Lander]

Well, we both agree, for starters, that corrupt, abusive Andrew Cuomo should not be allowed anywhere near City Hall. And we know that by teaming up, a majority of New Yorkers won't choose him. At the same time, we have a positive vision. You know, when I first met Zoran, he was leading an effort to help taxi drivers who were under crushing debt. Like several had committed suicide because medallion holders were crushing them with excess debt. So he led a hunger strike, teamed up with people and designed a $450 million debt relief program and has now built on that with a vision for a city that all, all New Yorkers can afford, whoever they are. And I find it inspiring. And so I hope folks will rank me number one on their ballot and rank Zoran number two.

[Stephen Colbert]

Mr. Mom. Don.

[Zoran Mamdani]

And I think, you know, Brad has been a principled and progressive leader in this city for years. So many of the laws that we celebrate in this city are ones that he actually brought to bear. And I'm talking about someone who founded the Progressive Caucus in the City Council. And it's, it's, it's exciting to know that while each of us think that we will make the next best mayor of New York City, we also understand that it's time for a politics of the future. And that means a politics of collaboration, a politics of sincerity, a politics of principle.

[Stephen Colbert]

And, well, this race, this race in general, Governor Cuomo being in the race, you guys and the other candidates, this has made national news. You both have been interviewed on the national news networks. Your opponent, Andrew Cuomo, has been recently endorsed by Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the guy who, you know, basically clinched it for Biden in 2020. Why do you think this particular race has become a countrywide story?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I think in some ways, because it's a referendum on where our party goes. What we're talking about is a race that has now seen the most funded super PAC in New York City's municipal history, a race that is, you know, one that billionaires and corporations want to buy. And this is a tale that we're seeing across this country where it's a battle of organized money versus organized people. And ultimately, it's a question for our own party of how do we move forward? Do we move forward with the same politicians of the past, the same policies of the past that delivered us this present, or do we move forward with a new generation of leadership, one that is actually looking to serve the future?

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, despite this being. Despite this being a New York City race, foreign affairs have become part of it, partly because this is such a multicultural city. And so I'll ask the same question to both of you. I'll start with you, Mr. Lander. Does the state of Israel have the right to exist?

[Brad Lander]

I support the vision of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.

[Stephen Colbert]

Mr. Mamdani, same question. Does the state of Israel have the right to exist?

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yes. Like all nations, I believe it has a right to exist and a responsibility also to uphold international law.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, well, let's talk about the elephant in the room is that there are many people in New York, even people who would support your candidacy otherwise, who don't want to support you because of the Jewish community's fear of the true and rising anti Semitism, not only around the world, but in this country and shamefully, in New York, which has the largest Jewish population of any city other than Tel Aviv in the whole world. And they are worried. They're. They're very upset by some of the things that you've said in the past, and they're afraid that your mayorship would actually lead to increased anti Semitism, that they believe that that would be more dangerous for them. What do you say to those New Yorkers who are afraid that you wouldn't be their mayor, that you wouldn't protect them?

[Zoran Mamdani]

You know, I know where that fear is coming from. It's a fear that is based upon the horrific attacks we've seen in Washington, D.C. in Boulder, Colorado.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's a fear all the way from Jews will not replace us to today.

[Zoran Mamdani]

And it's a fear that I hear also from New Yorkers themselves. You know, just a few days after the horrific war crime of October 7, a friend of mine told me about how he went to his synagogue for Shabbat services and he heard the door open behind him and a tremor went up his spine as he turned around, not knowing who was there and what they meant for him. I spoke to a Jewish man in Williamsburg just months ago who told me that the door he left unlocked for decades is now one that he locks. And ultimately this is because we're seeing a crisis of anti Semitism. And that's why at the heart of my proposal for a Department of Community Safety is a commitment to increase funding for anti hate crime programming by 800%. Because to, to your, to your, to your point, anti Semitism is not simply something that we should talk about. It's something that we have to tackle. We have to make clear there's no room for it in this city, in this country, in this world.

[Stephen Colbert]

And, and no justification for violence of any kind.

[Zoran Mamdani]

No, there, there is. There is no room for violence in this city, in this country, in this world. And what I have found also for many New Yorkers is an ability to navigate disagreement. You know, I remember the words of Mayor Koch who said, if you agree with me on 9 out of 12 issues, vote for me. 12 out of 12. See a psychiatrist. And, and I had an older Jewish woman come up to me at B' Nai Jeshur and Synagogue many months ago after a Democratic Club forum. And she whispered in my ear, I disagree with you on one issue. I'm pretty sure you know which one it is. And I agree with you on the others. And I'm gonna be ranking you on your. On my ballot. And I say this because I know there are many New Yorkers with whom I have a disagreement about the Israeli government's policies. And also there are many who understand that that's a disagreement still rooted in shared humanity. Because the conclusions I've come to, they are the conclusions of Israeli historians like Amos Goldberg. They are echoing the words of an Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmeir, who said just recently, what we are doing in Gaza is a war of devastation. It is cruel. It is indiscriminate. It is limitless. It is criminal killing of civilians. These are the conclusions I've come to.

[Brad Lander]

Stephen, can I.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure. Please. I mean, and by the way, before you answer. Yeah. Before you answer, I want to say if we're not able to fit everything in this interview on the broadcast, we will put the whole thing up online unedited. Okay. Go ahead.

[Brad Lander]

So, look, I'm a proud Jewish New Yorker raised in two Jewish kids. Here is the joy of my life. I'm the highest ranking Jewish elected official in New York City government. I'm nervous about rising anti Semitism. And also I believe in the humanity and the human rights of Palestinians. And I know that it is possible. I hate what I. I support that vision of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, but I hate what the Netanyahu government is doing in Gaza. And I've been saying that a long time. And look, no mayor is going to be responsible for what happens in the Middle East. But there is something quite remarkable about a Jewish New Yorker and a Muslim New Yorker coming together to say, here's how we protect all New Yorkers. Jews, Jewish New Yorkers, and Muslim New Yorkers are not going to be divided from. We build a city where you have affordable housing and good schools and safe neighborhoods for everyone.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, Mr. Mamdani, how do you. I'm just curious. How do you think you'd be the first Muslim mayor of New York? How do you think you could build a bridge of understanding between the significant Muslim population here in the city and the significant Jewish population here in the city? How do you think you could lower tension?

[Zoran Mamdani]

I think by foregrounding that humanity. And in many ways, that's the most New York City thing we can do. Because for so many of us who've grown up in this city, difference is something that we celebrate. It's something that we know is actually a part of the fabric of this place that we call home. And, you know, many years ago, I was the campaign manager of a Jewish candidate for state senate, and I took him to a mosque in Bay Ridge. And after he gave his speech at Friday prayers, an older Palestinian man came over to him and he looked at him and he said, cousins. And I think that there is this possibility of building a shared life in our city, because ultimately, that is the story of New York City. It's a shared life of people from across the world, and it's one that we know even in the language of the hostage families themselves. Everyone, for everyone. We are tied together as one.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, we have to take a quick break. We have to take a quick break. We're right back with more Brad Lander and Zoran Mamdani. We're here with Assemblyman Zoran Mamdani and Comptroller Brad Lander, who are both running for mayor of New York and have cross endorsed each other on the ranked choice voting system. Now, guys, as I said, I'm not endorsing either one of you, so would you please switch seats right now? Very good. All right.

[Zoran Mamdani]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. Thank you very much. All right. Welcome to the hot seat, friendo. Okay, Mr. Lander, one of the reasons why you're here is not just because you're doing well in the polls, but last week you were handcuffed by ICE for linking arms with an immigrant that they attempted to detain. First of all, why was that important for you to do? And as mayor, what ability will you have to resist the federal authorities on immigration policy that you think is abusive?

[Brad Lander]

So I've been going down to immigration hearings for a few weeks now. About a month ago, Department of Homeland Security changed the rules. It used to be that these folks who are coming, who have done everything right, they registered at the border, they got a hearing date, they showed up, expected to be able to say why they're afraid that if they'll be deported, they'll face violence or persecution back home. About a month ago, DHS just started dismissing their cases and saying, you no longer have status as an asylum seeker. They're, like, bewildered. They leave the courtroom and a gang of ICE agents, not wearing uniforms and wearing masks, grab some of them and essentially disappear them for deportation. So volunteers have been asked to show up at the court, bear witness, try to give them a little know your rights information to let them know they can object, try to connect them to lawyers, and that's what I was doing here. I met that gentleman, Edgardo, and I just took his arm, tried to walk him out of the building five times before I've been able to get. Families walked out of the building so they could go back to their neighborhood. In this case, you saw, they grabbed us, separated us. I was in detention for four hours. Edgardo remains in ICE detention today.

[Stephen Colbert]

And as I said, you're the comptroller of the city. What is that?

[Brad Lander]

Fair enough. Everything is under comptroller.

[Stephen Colbert]

Comptroller, yeah. What do you do?

[Brad Lander]

The chief financial officer in New York City. You manage the $275 billion pension fund that is the retirement security of teachers and cops and firefighters.

[Stephen Colbert]

All right, so you're the money guy for the city.

[Brad Lander]

The money guy for the city of New York.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're the money guy.

[Brad Lander]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

And wait a second. You're the money guy, and he's a democratic socialist. You're a socialist endorsing the money guy, and the money guy's endorsing the socialist guy. Does socialism not scare you? Cause socialism scares a lot of people.

[Brad Lander]

I mean, look, I am a proud progressive, and I think that's in the tradition of New York City. I mean, this is an incredible city, generates so much creativity and energy and wealth. And the job of city government and of the money guy is to invest in the public goods that keep that thriving going and then share opportunity so much better. And that's what our schools are and our parks are and our libraries are. That's what we're paying for with all those dollars, and that's the city we love.

[Zoran Mamdani]

I think what Brad has also shown by being the money guy is holding people accountable. Right. One of the main reasons that we know that Elon Musk took $80 million out of the city budget was because that was something that Brad discovered. And I think that.

[Brad Lander]

And we're gonna get it back. So every penny.

[Zoran Mamdani]

And at the core of this is about actual accountability, because what we have is a federal administration in Washington that is authoritarian in its actions and its vision and deserve leadership here in New York City. That is actually an alternative to it, not something that looks like a mirror image of it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, let. Let. I want to talk about. I want to talk about that, and I want to get back to what happened down at the court is. Okay. So it is expressing its power in an authoritarian way. This administration. Trump has said he is sending troops to New York just like he sent to Los Angeles. What. Let's start with you, Mr. Leonard. What can you do as mayor similar to what Karen Bass was faced with in Los Angeles. What can you do if there are troops in the streets of New York to protect New Yorkers?

[Brad Lander]

Yeah, well, there's a lot we can do to protect New Yorkers. I'll start with the fact that, like, I was proud to be there for Edgardo, but you know, what would have been better for Edgardo was a lawyer. And the city of New York should be paying for legal representation for people who are facing deportation. So we could de escalate. And what I was proud of in what happened last week was it's in the nonviolent tradition. We are standing up against authoritarianism, and we can do it in a way that is nonviolent, that de escalates, that shows the best of New Yorkers and the best of Americans. We are gonna need to come up with more tactics for doing that. That's peaceful protest. That's bearing witness in the courts, and, yes, that's keeping a peaceful city. Even if they send National Guard here, we will not back down, and we will show what New Yorkers are made of in a peaceful way.

[Stephen Colbert]

We've only got a minute here, and I've gotta get to a couple other things here. New York is a big old town, okay? It's old. It's not necessarily machine politics like the Chicago that I used to live in, but there are a lot of bodies.

[Brad Lander]

Buried, you know, still a lot of machine politics, okay?

[Stephen Colbert]

And one of the things that people say that they'll, you know, they'll vote for Cuomo is like, he knows where the bodies are buried. He knows how things are done. Mr. Mamdani, you're 33 years old. You know, a fresh face is very good. New ideas are very good. But why should the city trust someone with so little governmental, especially executive experience, to run the greatest city on earth?

[Zoran Mamdani]

No, I think it's a moment for New Yorkers to ask themselves what kind of experience we want. Because what we see in Andrew Cuomo is the experience of resigning in disgrace. The experience of cutting Medicaid, of cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for the mta, of hounding the more than the dozen women who courageously stepped forward to credibly accuse him of sexual harassment. The experience that I offer is one that I'm very proud of. You know, as Brad was saying earlier, I think of the experience of Richard Chao, a taxi driver who lost his brother to suicide, someone who had been sold a dream by this city as a ticket to the middle class. I organized alongside Richard and thousands of working class taxi drivers 1/2 a billion dollars in debt relief that brought so many of these drivers back in the dignity that they'd been denied. And alongside that, won the single largest infusion of money for the MTA's operating service in better subways, better bus service, the first of its kind, fare free bus pilot, a track record of fighting for working class New Yorkers. And ultimately, in this moment, we can also see a glimpse of how we would run the city and the campaigns that we're running.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, for both of you gentlemen, what's your relationship with, like, unions, with police, Those are the things that run this city. What's your relationship with the police?

[Brad Lander]

Well, look, you know, that's my job as comptroller. I invest their pension funds, and I'm happy to say last year their pension funds were up 10%. I work closely with representatives even as we invest in more affordable housing and show how you could run the city.

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[Stephen Colbert]

All right, how about you? What's your relationship like with the police?

[Zoran Mamdani]

You know, it's a relationship where. When I've had conversations with rank and file officers who've told me that they joined the police force to tackle serious crimes, I've heard their frustrations that they've instead been asked to play almost every single role that city government can imagine. The same people who thought they were signing up to deal with shootings are instead playing the roles of mental health professionals and social workers. And ultimately, it's part of why we see 200 officers leave the department every single month, with about a quarter considering doing so, because we're not letting them do their actual jobs. And that's part of our vision. Let the police do the critical work that they do towards creating public safety. Let's create a Department of Community Safety to have dedicated teams of mental health outreach workers and social workers in our subways responding to homelessness and the mental health crisis.

[Stephen Colbert]

One of the things, and I know we're gonna. We're going a little long here. You know, people like, there's an old saw that says, just, you know, make sure the potholes are filled, okay? It's what's going on in everyone's neighborhood. People in New York are distraught because there is the city's dirty moped, there's rats everywhere, there's moped. Chaos is not the top thing on my list. But also crime. You know, crime. What do you do? Quality of life, A lot of empty storefronts around the city. How do you increase the. As mayor, what do you do to restore the city to a sense of Vitality? Well, yeah.

[Brad Lander]

Well, first you need a well run city government to deliver the services, to pick up the garbage, to keep the streets clean and safe, to run the schools well. So first you gotta sweep out all the corruption that Eric Adams has brought in, because we don't have right now top flight people running every city agency. But think about what it could be as an answer to Donald Trump when the next mayor says, I want the best and brightest here running that transportation department, running the sanitation department, and making sure we keep the streets clean, safe, the neighborhoods well run. I'm glad Eric Adams finally decided it was time to start putting the lids on the trash cans. That's a big step forward for you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you keep the rat czar?

[Brad Lander]

We will have a rat czar.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. How do you revitalize the city? How do you keep it clean and safe?

[Zoran Mamdani]

You know, I think. I think as someone who cares deeply about public goods and the public sector, we have to care just as much about public excellence. We have to deliver the best quality of life in this city. And as Brad is saying, so much of that concern that many New Yorkers have is tied to a systematic underfunding of city agencies. We're talking about a mayor that we're both seeking to replace who at one point was proposing removing trash cans from some New York City street corners. And that's part of what makes people feel as if they're living in a city that is dirtier, that is less well run than the one that they know.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do we have money for that?

[Zoran Mamdani]

We do. We do.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do we have money for that?

[Brad Lander]

Well, look, my number one pledge in this campaign. All right, I'm glad you asked.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Brad Lander]

My number one pledge in this campaign is to end street homelessness for people with serious mental illness. We don't have to be a city that has a couple thousand of our mentally ill neighbors. You know what's expensive? Our hospitals and jail will actually save money, even as we make our city safer.

[Stephen Colbert]

If Andrew Cuomo loses the primary, he said he'll run as an independent. If you guys lose. If either of you guys lose, will you run as an independent?

[Zoran Mamdani]

My focus is just on June 24, and I'm confident that we're gonna be able to beat Andrew Cuomo and send him back to the suburbs.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, and by we. I know you said we, but it really can only be I. Because only one person can win. Arm wrestle. No, no, we're arm wrestling. Who's winning the primary? I'll ask you first.

[Brad Lander]

I tried to arm wrestle for it, right here.

[Stephen Colbert]

All right.

[Brad Lander]

I'm in the number one chair now, Right?

[Stephen Colbert]

So I guess there's. There it is right there.

[Brad Lander]

I do appreciate your having Idris Elba on today so that Zoran's not the best looking guy on the show.

[Stephen Colbert]

You just cost yourself one vote. Oh, no.

[Zoran Mamdani]

And that's why I'm gonna win.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, if you're a New Yorker and you haven't voted yet, make sure to get out there tomorrow and vote for several candidates of your choices. That's Assemblyman Zoran Mamdani and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives. What is dedication?

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[Stephen Colbert]

That's dedication. Find out [e-mail] brought to you by the U.S. department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. 911 stage emergency. Yes. Somebody killed two girls. My grandbaby and my friend. My dad. Your dad?

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