The political credibility of New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has been severely damaged after he was forced to publicly backtrack on his aggressive anti-Trump rhetoric. Following a highly criticized request for a meeting with President Donald Trump, Mamdani appeared on NBC’s
The segment exposed Mamdani’s awkward political submission, revealing a figure who preached uncompromising radicalism on the campaign trail but quickly folded into the pragmatic, compromising world of institutional politics. Most notably, the host forced Mamdani to address his past threats of violence against Trump, leaving the mayor-elect to stumble through a defense that satisfied neither his progressive base nor his critics.
Mamdani’s entire political brand was built on fierce opposition to Donald Trump, whom he repeatedly labeled a “fascist” and an “existential threat to the American way of life.” His campaign rhetoric was uncompromising and detested the idea of working with the Trump administration.
The Public Backtrack: After requesting and attending a meeting with President Trump, Mamdani attempted to shift the narrative from confrontation to constructive dialogue.
Mamdani: “I think what I appreciated about the conversation that I had with the president was that
The Host’s Challenge: The host immediately questioned the sincerity of this pivot, demanding that Mamdani reconcile his violent rhetoric with his current diplomatic efforts.
Host: “In that press conference with President Trump, a reporter asked you whether you believe that President Trump is in fact a fascist, a word that you’ve used in the past…
Mamdani squirmed, attempting to evade the question by repeating: “Everything that I’ve said in the past, I continue to believe.” He justified his cooperation by saying he was not there to “make a point or make a stand,” but to “deliver for New Yorkers.”
The most critical moment came when the host forced Mamdani to confront his use of the term “fascist.”
The Oval Office Deflection:
The host played the clip from the Oval Office press conference where Trump, aware of Mamdani’s insults, playfully interrupted the question: “That’s okay. You can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining it.”
Mamdani shamefully mumbled an acknowledgment, a moment of submission that was starkly different from the “outspoken, bold, angry” campaign figure. When pressed on NBC, Mamdani insisted that he did call Trump a fascist to his face, but the host pointed out the obvious contradiction: believing someone is an existential threat is not a “mere disagreement” that you can simply “work around.”
The Collapse of the Moral Argument: The fundamental collapse of Mamdani’s argument lies in his attempt to dilute the meaning of “fascist.” He wants voters to associate the word with big, bad, murderous dictators, but then wants them to believe he used the term “hyperbolically” when negotiating policy.
This shows how little Democrats believe the extreme rhetoric they use, and it blows a massive hole in the moral integrity of their “obstructionist philosophy,” which relies on the claim that it is
The host relentlessly pressed Mamdani on his policy proposals, exposing the hypocrisy of his entire socialist campaign, which relied on promises he could not legally or financially fulfill.
1. The Property Tax Swindle:
Mamdani campaigned on “shifting the tax burden for property taxes from what he called minority communities to white-based communities.” This “race-based” taxation idea was a radical promise to his base.
When confronted, Mamdani immediately walked back the core of the plan: “No, to be very clear. No, the use of the term was a description of neighborhoods, not a description of intent.
” This denial confirmed for many that the radical rhetoric was merely a swindle to secure votes.
2. The Utopian Agenda is “Dead on Arrival”: The host questioned Mamdani’s entire utopian vision—universal child care, free buses, lowering rent—without the necessary funds.
Governor Hochul’s Refusal: Mamdani admitted that his core funding mechanism—raising taxes on the wealthy—requires Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature, and she has consistently refused to publicly commit to the tax hikes.
The Reality: The host argued that Mamdani’s entire agenda is “dead on arrival,” and he still has 40 days until he officially becomes mayor. This forces Mamdani to rely on existing federal funding simply to keep the city functional.
The overall impression of the interview is that Mamdani is a “massive fraud”—a power-hungry snake oil salesman who promised “rainbows and unicorns” to “stupid leftists.”
The Learning Process: Mamdani’s only defense for his inconsistencies is that he is undergoing a “learning experience.” Critics countered that his repeated lies and reversals confirm his unprincipled approach to leadership.
The Tough Love of Trump: The comparison drawn by the White House is apt: Trump’s tough-love approach in the Oval Office was intended to teach the mayor-elect how the world works: “You need to cooperate with federal law enforcement… You need to put that out of your mind… We have federal laws and we have international diplomacy and those things are handled by the president, not the mayor of New York City.”
Mamdani’s public humiliation on NBC confirms that the DSA’s radical chic is no match for the hard reality of governance. The mayor-elect is now facing a severe crisis of confidence, having betrayed his base by abandoning his confrontational mandate for the political necessity of cooperation.
.
Newly released documents from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate show that the convicted sex offender exchanged text messages with a Democratic member of Congress during Michael Cohen’s February 2019 testimony, and that those messages may have influenced the congresswoman’s questioning of Cohen. The documents, published Wednesday by the House Oversight Committee, include copies of Epstein’s digital communications, emails, and text messages, The Washington Post
reported.
In the texts, Epstein appeared to be watching the hearing in real time and notified the congresswoman — whose name was redacted in the documents — that Cohen had mentioned former Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff during his testimony.
At the time, Cohen was accusing Trump of racism, financial manipulation, and authorizing hush-money payments, allegations Trump denied.
Epstein texted, “Cohen brought up RONA – keeper of the secrets,” misspelling Graff’s name.
“RONA??” the lawmaker replied. “Quick I’m up next is that an acronym,” she wrote, indicating she was moments away from questioning Cohen.
The timestamps on the messages matched the live hearing feed, and the content indicated that the texting partner was Del. Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands, who served as a member of the House Oversight Committee.
Plaskett declined to answer questions when reached by phone Thursday and referred inquiries to her staff.
Her chief of staff, Angeline Jabbar, said she was “not in a position to confirm or not” whether Plaskett was texting with Epstein and did not respond to follow-up questions.
After the story was published Friday evening, Plaskett’s office issued a statement acknowledging she received messages from Epstein during the hearing.
“During the hearing, Congresswoman Plaskett received texts from staff, constituents and the public at large offering advice, support and in some cases partisan vitriol, including from Epstein,” the statement said.
It added that Plaskett “welcomes information that helps her get at the truth” and highlighted her record of combating sexual assault and human trafficking.
The documents show Epstein messaged Plaskett before the hearing began.
At 7:55 a.m. Eastern time, Plaskett texted Epstein, “He’ll talk about his grades.”
Epstein replied one minute later, “what privilege stands behind the none release of college transcripts?”
Throughout the morning, Epstein continued messaging Plaskett.
At 10:02 a.m., he texted, “Great outfit.”
At 10:22 a.m., he added, “You look great,” to which she replied, “Thanks!”
At approximately 10:40 a.m., the broadcast showed Plaskett moving her mouth as though chewing something.
At 10:41 a.m., Epstein texted, “Are you chewing.”
Plaskett responded, “Not any more. Chewing interior of my mouth. Bad habit from middle school.”
The messages continued throughout the hearing.
At 12:50 p.m., Epstein asked, “How much longer for you.”
“Hours. Go to other mtgs,” Plaskett replied.
Other messages indicate Epstein was offering input on lines of questioning.
At 12:25 p.m., Epstein wrote, “Hes opened the door to questions re who are the other henchmen at trump org.”
“Yup. Very aware and waiting my turn,” Plaskett responded.
When Plaskett questioned Cohen at 2:28 p.m., she asked about Trump associates Cohen had mentioned.
“So Allen Weisselberg is the chief financial officer in The Trump Organization,” Cohen began.
“You’ve got to quickly give us as many names as you can so we can get to them,” she interjected.
Plaskett’s line of questioning then turned to Graff, just as Epstein had flagged.
“Is Ms. Rhona, what is Ms. Rhona’s— …?” she asked.
Cohen replied, “Rhona Graff is the — Mr. Trump’s executive assistant … She was — her office is directly next to his, and she’s involved in a lot that went on.”
Epstein would not be charged with federal sex-trafficking crimes until July 2019, several months after the Cohen hearing, but he was already a known convicted sex offender following his 2008 plea agreement in Florida.
A bombshell report has emerged from Blaze News that could unravel the entire narrative of January 6. Forensic gait analysis has identified former U.S. Capitol Police officer Shauni Rae Kerkhoff as a near-perfect match for the elusive pipe bomb suspect.
Using cutting-edge software, analysts matched Kerkhoff’s stride with that of the suspect captured on video placing pipe bombs near the DNC and Capitol Hill Club on January 5, 2021. The results? A stunning 94% match from the software—and closer to 98% by human analysis.
This match wasn’t arbitrary. The program analyzed variables like cadence, hip extension, knee flexion, step variance, and even limb angle. Kerkhoff’s slight limp from a past soccer injury proved to be a unique signature, linking her directly to the suspect caught on surveillance.
Kerkhoff, 31, served with the Capitol Police for over four years, specifically as a Civil Disturbance Unit trainer on less-lethal weapons. She resigned in mid-2021, transitioning into a classified security detail tied to the CIA.
Multiple intelligence officials have confirmed the accuracy of Blaze News’ analysis. Shockingly, FBI agents were surveilling a property just one door away from Kerkhoff days after January 6—but were pulled off the assignment without explanation.
Former FBI Special Agent Kyle Seraphin confirmed his team was feet from the suspect. He now believes the FBI was knowingly involved in a cover-up. “They were f**king in on it,” he told Blaze News.
Even more damning: Blaze News obtained high-resolution video not released by the FBI, showing the suspect’s gait in crystal-clear detail. Analysts compared this to footage of Kerkhoff from Capitol security cameras and a 2017 Columbus Eagles FC soccer game.
The match was undeniable. Kerkhoff’s gait, body structure, and stride perfectly aligned with the hoodie-wearing suspect.
Her history deepens the intrigue. A standout Division I college goalkeeper, Kerkhoff shattered her leg in 2015 during a game, leaving her with a permanent limp—a detail now at the center of this explosive identification.
Despite years of investigation and millions in rewards, the FBI has failed to identify the bomber. This new evidence casts serious doubt on whether they were ever truly trying.
Seraphin said his team proposed interviewing a nearby Air Force civilian whose address was tied to the suspect’s transit card. The request was denied, and the team was removed from the case.
Kerkhoff was a use-of-force instructor on January 6 and testified in related criminal trials. Video evidence shows her deploying crowd control weapons into peaceful sections of the crowd.
Congressman Thomas Massie grilled FBI Director Wray over this case last year, exposing how the bureau had failed to interview the person who allegedly found the bomb at the DNC. That individual turned out to be a plainclothes Capitol Police officer.
Even Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund admitted he was unaware of any lawful reason for a Capitol officer to be planting bombs. “I had no knowledge it was being carried out, nor was it authorized,” Sund said.
Blaze News also reported the suspect may have initially tried to plant bombs outside the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. Surveillance videos suggest the devices were handled—possibly swapped—early on the morning of January 6.
Shockingly, Secret Service agents stationed outside the DNC were seen lounging and eating lunch mere feet from the bomb, showing no urgency after being alerted.
This suggests the agency may have known the devices were duds, lending weight to suspicions of an inside job.
The FBI’s own video releases were allegedly tampered with to reduce the frame rate, blurring the suspect’s movements. The clearer footage obtained by Blaze News disproves claims of poor visibility.
With a 94%-98% match, corroborating intel sources, and prior proximity during surveillance, the case against Kerkhoff is damning. If confirmed, it will rewrite the history of January 6.
What was framed as an insurrection may have been a manipulated event, enabled—or even facilitated—by government insiders.