Podcast / The Time of Monsters / Aug 4, 2025

Zohran Mamdani’s Social Media Triumph

On The Time of Monsters: Greg Sargent on the New York mayoral candidate’s peerless digital efforts.

The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer

The Time of Monsters podcast features Nation national-affairs correspondent Jeet Heer’s signature blend of political culture and cultural politics. Each week, he’ll host in-depth conversations with urgent voices on the most pressing issues of our time.

Zohran Mamdani’s Social Media Triumph w/ Greg Sargent
byThe Nation Company LLC

Writing in The New Republic, Greg Sargent called attention to Zohran Mamdani’s highly

effective media strategy which has allowed him to reach many voters that have been drifting

away from the Democratic Party, especially young people and immigrants. In punchy, short

videos, Mamdani has offered an optimistic message that celebrates big city life and diversity

while showing how government policies can help make life better. I talked to Greg about the lessons

of the Mamdani campaign. We also talk about strategies for investigating the Jeffrey Epstein scandal,

a subject he wrote about here.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, attends an endorsement event from the union DC 37 on July 15, 2025.

Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, attends an endorsement event from the union DC 37 on July 15, 2025.

(Spencer Platt / Getty Images)

Writing in The New Republic, Greg Sargent called attention to Zohran Mamdani’s highly effective media strategy, which has allowed him to reach many voters that have been drifting away from the Democratic Party, especially young people and immigrants. In punchy, short videos, Mamdani has offered an optimistic message that celebrates big-city life and diversity while showing how government policies can help make life better.

I talked to Greg about the lessons of the Mamdani campaign. We also talked about strategies for investigating the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, a subject he wrote about here.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer

The Time of Monsters podcast features Nation national-affairs correspondent Jeet Heer’s signature blend of political culture and cultural politics. Each week, he’ll host in-depth conversations with urgent voices on the most pressing issues of our time.

The Age of Larry Summers and Jeffrey Epstein w/ Doug Henwood
byThe Nation Company LLC

The famed economist Larry Summers, not for the first time, finds himself the center of a

scandal. He’s had to take a leave from Harvard, where he teaches, because of embarrassing

emails he had with his late friend Jeffrey Epstein.

I talked to economic journalist and Nation contributor Doug Henwood, a long-time Summers

watcher, about the career of this controversial and influential figure. Summers has been one of

the most influential policy makers of his era, serving as Treasury Secretary and President of

Harvard. He has also embodied the major intellectual and political limitations of the ruling class.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Jeet Heer

Jeet Heer is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation and host of the weekly Nation podcast, The Time of Monsters. He also pens the monthly column “Morbid Symptoms.” The author of In Love with Art: Francoise Mouly’s Adventures in Comics with Art Spiegelman (2013) and Sweet Lechery: Reviews, Essays and Profiles (2014), Heer has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The American Prospect, The GuardianThe New Republic, and The Boston Globe.

More from The Nation

Dem Voters Triumph— Plus, That Springsteen Movie

Dem Voters Triumph— Plus, That Springsteen Movie Dem Voters Triumph— Plus, That Springsteen Movie

On this episode of Start Making Sense, John Nichols analyzes Tuesday’s elections, and Greil Marcus explains what’s missing in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.

Jon Wiener

Donald Trump, left, greets John Roberts, chief justice of the US Supreme Court, arrives for a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

Why the Supreme Court Will Never Stand Up to Trump Why the Supreme Court Will Never Stand Up to Trump

Podcast / The Nation Podcast / Aug 4, 2025 Zohran Mamdani’s Social Media Triumph On The Nation Podcast: Elie Mystal on the Roberts court’s capitulation. D.D. Guttenplan and…

Podcast / The Nation Podcast

Pedestrians walk beneath the marquee of a Trans-Lux Theatre, during the Second World War, in Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, Manhattan, New York City, New York, circa 1943.

The Courts vs. Trump—Plus, “Gotham at War” The Courts vs. Trump—Plus, “Gotham at War”

On this episode of Start Making Sense: David Cole on Trump’s recent defeats in federal courts, and Brenda Wineapple on Mike Wallace’s history of New York City during World War II....

Jon Wiener

Republicans John Thune and Mike Johnson during a news conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 3, 2025. The podium sign reads: Democrat Shutdown.

The Deep Politics of the Government Shutdown The Deep Politics of the Government Shutdown

On this episode of The Time of Monsters: Chris Lehmann on racism, austerity and the Democrats finding courage.

Jeet Heer

Bob Woodward speaking in 2025.

The Emptiness of Bob Woodward The Emptiness of Bob Woodward

On The Nation Podcast: Matt Duss on the limitations of DC’s most famous chronicler.

D.D. Guttenplan and Matthew Duss

US Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance stand with Col. Susan Meyers commander of the US military's Pituffik Space Base, as they tour the base on March 28, 2025, in Pituffik, Greenland.

The US Military vs. the Environment, With Gretchen Heefner The US Military vs. the Environment, With Gretchen Heefner

An American Prestige bonus interview.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

x