The Megyn Kelly Show | Ep. 1187

“Lessons For GOP From Crushing Losses, and Mamdani's Alarming Promises”
Date: November 5, 2025
Host: Megyn Kelly (SiriusXM)
Guests: Sid Rosenberg (WABC), Tom Bevin, Carl Cannon, Andrew Walworth (RealClearPolitics)

Episode Overview

Megyn Kelly, joined by Sid Rosenberg and the RealClearPolitics team, analyzes the sweeping Democratic victories across several key states and the GOP’s failures in the wake of “crushing losses.” The episode zeroes in on Zoran Mamdani’s victory as NYC mayor, discussing his radical policies and what his rise represents for the Republican Party, New York City, and American politics at large. The conversation is unfiltered, urgent, and occasionally raw in tone, challenging both party strategies and the mindset of voters in a shifting political landscape.

Key Discussion Points

1. Immediate GOP Post-Mortem

• Loss Across the Board:
  Megyn laments, "Republicans lost across the board everywhere, in every race. There’s really no good news" (00:48), criticizing the party's lack of unity and focus.
• Trump Dependency:
  She asserts, "Donald Trump is strong. Republicans don’t know how to win... when Daddy’s not there." (01:23)
• GOP Infighting:
  Frustration at “policing a young person’s group chat” and infighting, instead of focusing on winnable policy battles.

2. Zoran Mamdani's Win in NYC

• Concerns Over Radicalism:
  Mamdani dubbed a "radical Muslim running the greatest city in the world into the ground" (02:30).
  Megyn fears for public safety, Jewish communities, and fiscal consequences.
• Promises and Identity Politics:
  Mamdani's speech emphasized immigrants and working class allegiances, but Megyn contests this:
  "The working class did not vote for you. They know you’re a liar, and... a wolf in sheep’s clothing." (04:43)
• Blaming Republican Split:
  Sliwa’s refusal to drop out is critiqued for splitting the anti-Mamdani vote.

3. Democratic Performance Nationwide

• Virginia:
  Dems swept major offices; Megyn slams voters for electing Jay Jones:
  "He means it. The Virginia voter said, we’re good. Defeated Jason Miyares by six points." (10:07)
• New Jersey & Georgia:
  Democrats dominated, outperforming polls by wide margins; Republican turnout was weak without Trump.

4. Generational & Demographic Shifts

• Youth Vote:
  Young voters (under 29 and up to 44) overwhelmingly went for Mamdani, highlighting generational divide and lack of historical context ("they don't remember 9/11"; 19:12).
• Foreign Born Support:
  Foreign-born New Yorkers formed the base of Mamdani’s support (25:49).

5. Reaction from Sid Rosenberg

• Rosenberg on Mamdani's Agenda:
  "He's a terrorist, he's a jihadist, he's a socialist, he's a Marxist, and he's a communist. And now he's the mayor of New York City." (17:43)
  • Fear for economic consequences, public safety, and especially Jewish safety in NYC.
• On ‘Free Stuff’ Politics:
  Sid waxes about the “22-year-old girl” lifestyle being subsidized, enabled by Mamdani’s policies (20:00).
• Rise of Anti-Israel Sentiment:
  Both Sid and Megyn discuss how it’s "become chic... to hate the Jews" (20:53) among younger/left-leaning New Yorkers.

6. Soundbites: Voter Disconnect

• Young Voter on Economics:
  "It’s so expensive to live here, to even afford like, to eat matcha in your hand right here... I am a student... I will not be paying taxes." (24:17)
• Megyn’s Editorial:
  "That is central casting right there" (24:54); a symptom of entitlement and economic naivety.

7. The RealClearPolitics Team Weighs In

• Democratic Landslide Analysis:
  All types of Democrats won: "The moderate ones, the radical ones—they all won. And not only won, they crushed." (37:44)
• Trump Effect:
  Without Trump on the ballot, Republicans lacked turnout; Democrats ran as if he was still the opposition (38:41).
• Mamdani as GOP Foil?
  The GOP’s plan to tie all Dems to Mamdani might backfire if he doesn’t fail dramatically and publicly (47:56).
• Warning Against Wishful Thinking:
  "Hoping that Mamdani wrecks New York City is not a plan, necessarily a strategy." (49:33)

8. Mamdani’s Socialist Promises

• His Agenda:
  "Freeze the rents for more than 2 million... make buses fast and free, universal childcare, hire thousands more teachers, cut a bloated bureaucracy." (55:26)
• RCP Response:
  Most promises are not within mayoral powers; predicted to fail but will be blamed on others (56:08).

9. Roots of Socialist Appeal

• Socialism as New Religion:
  “Socialism is as much a religion as it is an economic system, maybe more so... It promises you heaven on earth...” (72:02)
• Youth Discontent:
  Charlie Kirk: "This is yet another distress signal by young people to say, ‘hey, if you’re not going to fix our life economically, we’re going to get very radical politically.’" (63:51)

10. Broader Party Lessons and Future

• Republicans Must Engage on Affordability:
  "Republicans should be talking about affordability as well, because... inflation has taken a huge bite out of people’s paychecks." (65:20)
• Identity Politics Critique:
  Segments at episode’s end critique Michelle Obama and Karine Jean-Pierre for centering their identity in public life, lamenting the lack of gratefulness and "obsessive focus on identity" (101:53).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Sharpest Critiques

• Megyn Kelly:
  "The Republican Party is not strong. Donald Trump is strong. Republicans don’t know how to win." (01:23)
• Sid Rosenberg (on Mamdani):
  "He’s a terrorist, he’s a jihadist, he’s a socialist, he’s a Marxist, and he’s a communist. And now he’s the mayor of New York City." (17:43)
• Rosenberg on Youth/Anti-Semitism:
  “It has become chic... to hate the Jews. So he had two real platforms here. A, everything's free... and B, if you’re marching in the streets because Israel's committing genocide, I got you too. It's brilliant." (20:53)
• Carl Cannon (on socialism):
  "He’s not an emperor of New York. He’s a mayor... Hoping that Mamdani wrecks New York is not a plan." (49:33)

Telling Soundbites

• Young Voter for Mamdani (clip):
  "It's so expensive to live here, to even afford like to eat matcha..." (24:17)
• Megyn Kelly:
  "We didn't even talk... He said $65 million to trans anyone who wants it... He basically wants New York to be a sanctuary for trans children." (06:16)
• Mamdani (victory speech):
  "So hear me, President Trump, when I say to get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us. After all, the conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am Muslim, I am a democratic socialist, and most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this." (13:30)

Humorous/Edgy Moments

• "That's three F bombs in the first seven minutes. My apologies." — Megyn (10:16)
• "If you're white and you're successful, you're the enemy." — Sid Rosenberg (25:49)
• "...you can do nothing all day, watch Spongebob, maybe smoke a joint or two... people like Megan and Sid will pay for you." (26:12)
• "How about the number of foreign born New Yorkers who put him over the top..." — Megyn Kelly (25:49–26:12)
• "I hope you enjoy your genitals. Enjoy them while they're still intact." — Megyn Kelly, discussing celebratory attitudes toward Sharia law (60:04)
• Ronald Reagan clip: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, I'm from the government and I'm here to help." (62:50)

Key Timestamps

• 00:42 — GOP “disaster,” lack of message, reliance on Trump.
• 06:16–08:25 — Mamdani’s radical policy pledges and their implications.
• 13:01–14:29 — Mamdani’s victory speech + Sid Rosenberg reaction at RJC Summit.
• 16:57–24:54 — Full Sid Rosenberg interview: Jewish safety, youth vote, socialist appeal.
• 24:00 — Street interview with young Mamdani voter.
• 36:36 — RealClearPolitics joins: analysis of Dem sweep, Trump turnout effect.
• 47:56 — Discussion on Republican strategies and their flaws.
• 55:26 — Mamdani's “socialist” policy laundry list.
• 63:51 — Charlie Kirk on left-turn youth discontent (played/quoted).
• 65:20 — Affordability as a winning political theme.
• 72:02–74:51 — Socialism as a secular religion for American youth.
• 101:53 — End segment: Michelle Obama and Karine Jean-Pierre on identity.

Takeaways for Listeners

• GOP Faces Deep Strategic Trouble: The party is failing to connect with younger and diverse voters, shows weak turnout without Trump, and suffers from internal distractions.
• NYC as a Symbolic Shift: Mamdani’s win marks not only a leftward shift in NYC but provides Republicans a “boogeyman” they may not be able to effectively use.
• Youth & Economic Anger Drives Politics: Affordability and perceived unfairness animate the younger electorate—often pulling them leftward when alternatives are lacking.
• Socialism Rises as an Ideological Substitute: The language and promises of socialism fill a void (material and spiritual) for a generation increasingly alienated by traditional parties or religion.
• Dems Unified, Republicans Not: The Democrats’ broad tent—moderates, progressives, radicals—performed consistently while GOP turnout and message discipline faltered.
• Identity Politics Critiqued: The episode closes with sharp critiques of Democratic identity politics, as embodied by Michelle Obama and Karine Jean-Pierre, demanding a renewed focus on gratitude, achievement, and broad-based appeal.

This episode delivers a bracing postmortem of a pivotal election night—both summing up the left’s rapid advances in America’s bluest cities and states, and sounding an alarm about the GOP’s inability (and current unwillingness) to meaningfully respond. The conversation, colored by raw frustration, humor, and deep skepticism about progressive governance, is a must-listen for anyone seeking to understand the evolving battleground of American politics heading into 2026.

Additional Resources

• Sid Rosenberg’s Show: “Sid and Friends in the Morning," WABC
• RealClearPolitics Podcast: Now streamable via the Megyn Kelly Channel on SiriusXM (Ch. 111, weekdays at noon ET)
• Further Reading: Charlie Kirk on youth political revolt, John Stossel’s videos on socialism and taxation, exit poll data for NY, NJ, VA races.

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