Podcast Summary: The Rubin Report

Episode: “Tense Moment at Trump-Mamdani Meeting That No One Predicted”

Host: Dave Rubin
Date: November 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode covers a turbulent week in American politics, primarily focusing on the surprising meeting and press conference between former President Donald Trump and New York’s new mayor-elect Zorhan Mamdani. Dave Rubin discusses the optics, subtext, and political implications of this event alongside other key breaking stories: Marjorie Taylor Greene’s sudden retirement, Eric Swalwell’s run for California governor, the influence of foreign actors on American social media discourse, and a controversial election in Nashville. The show’s tone is direct, irreverent, and highly skeptical of both political extremes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump & Mamdani: The Unexpected Press Conference

• Event Recap: Trump sat down with Zorhan Mamdani in the Oval Office—significant given Mamdani’s far-left reputation and frequent past accusations of Trump as a “fascist.”
• Optics Analyzed:
  • Trump was overtly friendly—smiling, touching Mamdani, expressing confidence in him:

    “I feel very confident that he can do a very good job. I think he’s going to surprise some conservative people...” (Dave Rubin recapping Trump, 06:15)

  • Rubin’s take: This is “keeping your enemies close” and an intentional move to make Mamdani less palatable to his hard-left base.
  • Trump’s friendliness is read as a power play, implying cooperation is necessary despite ideological differences.
• Press Corps Q&A – The Race and Taxation Moment:
  • Jack Posobiec, pro-Trump commentator, grilled Mamdani about alleged plans for “race-based” property taxes that would shift burden from minority to “white” neighborhoods.
  • Mamdani denied race was intent, saying his terminology was about describing neighborhoods, not targeting based on race ([08:10]).
  • Rubin’s skepticism: “If you want people to think all white people are rich so that brown people can be angry at them, I suppose you can do that... He does want to tax what he's calling white neighborhoods.” (08:40)
• Tense Moment – The ‘Fascist’ Question:
  • Mamdani faced his own past words when asked if Trump is a fascist, stammering before Trump cut in:

    Trump (mimicked by Rubin): “That’s okay. You can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.” ([09:48])

  • Rubin’s interpretation: “Trump's ‘nice guy’ act is a message: If Mamdani wants anything from him, he’ll have to play ball.” (10:20)
• Aftermath:
  • Mamdani doubled down on NBC, confirming:

    “After President Trump said that, I said ‘yes.’ … That’s something I’ve said in the past. I say it today.” ([11:25])

2. Mamdani’s Contradictions and Police Funding Stance

• Flip-flop on Defunding the Police:
  • Mamdani’s history of “defund the police” rhetoric contrasted with his current insistence that the NYPD’s 35,000 officers is a “sufficient number” but should “focus on policing” ([13:16]).
  • Rubin’s comment: “Nothing this guy says bears any meaning other than he is doing it all to attain power.” (13:27)
• Fundraising Montage:
  • Compilation of Mamdani repeatedly asking for money post-victory, despite campaigning on free services:

    “Remember how I told you … to stop sending us money? You can start again. This transition requires staff, research...” (Compilation, [14:10-14:45])

  • Rubin mocks the “cute” tone as thinly veiled hypocrisy.

3. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Dramatic Retirement

• Announcement:
  • MTG is stepping away from Congress after a falling out with Trump, who publicly called her a “traitor.”
  • Her resignation speech mixed “putting America first” rhetoric with complaints about expected primary challenges and intra-party strife ([18:40]).
  • Inconsistencies pointed out by Rubin: “You're not going to run because it's going to be tough?... If you really care about the people of your district… why wouldn't you be fighting right now?" ([19:13-21:12])
  • Trump’s biting reaction on social media, labeling her “Marjorie Trader Brown.”
  • The resignation has potential to significantly impact the razor-thin GOP majority in the House.

4. Eric Swalwell Runs for California Governor

• Announcement & Backstory:
  • Eric Swalwell, plagued by association with a Chinese spy (“Fang Fang”) and past TV mishaps, announced on Jimmy Kimmel that he’s running for governor ([27:16]).
  • Despite acknowledging California’s problems—housing prices, regulation, out-migration—Rubin points out these are products of Swalwell’s own party.
• Notable Proposal:
  • Swalwell advocated for voting by phone:

    “If we can do our taxes, do our healthcare appointments … you should be able to vote by phone.” ([29:39])

  • Rubin responds with derision, citing the lack of ID checks and ease of fraud.
  • Ron DeSantis’s reaction: “Voting by phone—no. How ridiculous.” (Paraphrased, [30:18])

5. Nashville Election: Culture Clash

• Controversy:
  • Democratic candidate Afton Ben faces backlash over old audio where she says she “hates” key elements of local culture—country music, bachelorette parties, pedal taverns ([33:57]).
  • Attempts to walk back comments are clumsy and self-contradictory, including a Freudian slip:

    “We all get annoyed with the tourists ... but that doesn't mean I love my city.” ([36:57])

  • Old tweets surfaced advocating for “dissolving” Nashville’s police and supporting “burning down” police stations during 2020 protests ([38:01]); Ben dodges current stance.

6. Viral Democrat Video: Resisting “Illegal Orders”

• Summary:
  • Congressional Democrats aired a video telling military members to “refuse illegal orders” from Trump, but failed to specify what he might order or give examples ([41:31]).
  • When pressed, Alyssa Slotkin admits she “is not aware of things that are illegal” ([42:35]), yet invokes WWII/Nuremberg in justifying her statement.
  • Rubin: “If you can’t name one, why’d you shoot that commercial, you dumb broad?” ([42:53])

7. Attacks on ICE & Lawlessness

• Segments on Violence:
  • MSNBC commentators laugh about ICE agents having their car tires slashed and being chased from restaurants ([44:26]).
  • In Virginia Beach, an assistant principal is arrested for threatening to shoot police and ICE officers ([45:26]).
  • In Texas, residents receive disturbing Christmas cards asking for “the head of a Nazi” for Christmas, raising alarm (46:10).

8. Foreign Agents & Disinformation on X (Twitter) – Major Reveal

• Breaking Story:
  • X (formerly Twitter) now reveals locations of account origin, exposing thousands of popular accounts posing as Americans but linking back to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and elsewhere ([47:18]).
  • Examples given:
    • “Suppress News” based in North Africa
    • “Conscious philosopher” in Serbia
    • “Clash Reports” in Turkey
    • “Israel Exposed” in Saudi Arabia
    • Even “live from Gaza” accounts tweeting during blackouts shown to be posting from Poland
  • Many overwhelmingly pro/con accounts driving US discourse—revealed as foreign astroturfing.

  • Rubin: “This is an absolutely massive story of foreign ops shaping our political and cultural discourse. Will mainstream media even cover it?” ([52:55])

  • The “right-wing civil war” and waves of MAGA infighting online may have been massively inflated or even manufactured by foreign actors.

9. Cheryl Hines on Discovering “the Right”

• Humanizing Close:
  • Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm, married to RFK Jr.) describes her surprise at the warmth she and her husband received from the political right:

    “Some people [on the left] are very emotional and upset. And then my experience with the right has been they have been accepting and warm. So that's been a little surprising.” ([56:30])

  • Rubin frames this as evidence that, beyond the astroturfed hate sowed online, the “real” America is more tolerant and inclusive on the center-right than depicted digitally.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mamdani’s Meeting w/ Trump:
  • Rubin: "We thought [social media] was a mirror and it turned out to be a funhouse mirror." ([04:45])
  • Trump (paraphrased): “I think he’s going to surprise some conservatives... some liberals already like him.” ([06:15])
• On Foreign Influence via Social Media:
  • Rubin: “Turns out half of the big accounts that follow [Nick Fuentes] are foreign. So we have been manipulated in crazily, crazily effective ways by bad actors.” ([51:22])
• On the Culture War:
  • Rubin: “You're literally now running someone that is on tape saying they hate all the things that everyone loves about Nashville.” ([34:23])
• On the “Illegal Orders” Video:
  • Rubin (sarcastic tone): "If you go back to Nuremberg... that, well, they told me to do it, that's why I murdered people, is not an excuse.” ([42:35])
• Human Moment from Cheryl Hines:
  • Hines: “My experience with the right has been they have been accepting and warm. So that's been a little surprising.” ([56:30])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Trump–Mamdani Meeting & Press Conference: 06:15-12:48
• Mamdani on Defunding Police & Fundraising: 12:56-14:46
• Marjorie Taylor Greene Retirement & Speech: 18:40-21:12
• Eric Swalwell’s Gubernatorial Announcement: 27:16-29:39
• Nashville Election Flap (Ben’s “I hate the city” remarks): 33:57-37:14
• Afton Ben pressed on anti-police tweets: 38:01
• Democrats’ ‘Refuse Illegal Orders’ video: 41:31-42:53
• ICE Agent Attacks and Lawlessness: 44:26-45:46
• Foreign-Run Social Media Accounts Exposed: 47:18-53:00
• Cheryl Hines on the Right’s Welcome: 56:30-57:07

Episode Takeaways

• The Trump–Mamdani meeting was as much theater as politics, aimed both at bridging divides and at undermining each other’s bases.
• America's political scene is rocked by personality drama (MTG, Swalwell, etc.) but there is deep skepticism about political authenticity on all sides.
• Social media manipulation—by both algorithms and foreign actors—is shaping American political perceptions and dividing communities, often more than domestic actors or genuine movements.
• The center-right is portrayed as more tolerant and big-tented in real life than online manufactured discourse would suggest.

For listeners seeking a critical, sometimes wry take on American politics—particularly as it intersects with digital culture, media manipulation, and the culture wars—this episode highlights how much of the apparent chaos and division may be manufactured, not merely organic.