In this episode of the Odd Lots podcast, hosts Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway interview Zohran Mamdani, a New York State Assemblyman and candidate for mayor. Mamdani discusses his democratic socialist platform, focusing on making New York City more affordable through policies like rent freezes, expanding public housing, and creating municipal-owned grocery stores to combat food deserts. He addresses concerns about incentivizing landlords and the operational challenges of public goods, proposing a Department of Community Safety to improve public safety. Mamdani also outlines his plans to raise taxes on corporations and high-income earners to fund these initiatives, while defending his appeal to a broad range of voters beyond educated white demographics. The conversation also touches on more lighthearted topics, such as his connection to Bollywood.
