Mr. Mamdani goes to Washington

The Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

News, Daily News, Politics, Government

3.9 • 699 Ratings

🗓️ 21 November 2025

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This afternoon, two politicians who embody diametrically opposite facets of New York City — President Donald Trump and NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani — will meet in Washington. Despite their myriad differences, both Trump and Mamdani are presently focused on the same issue: affordability. It’s a topic both men hinged their campaigns on. But will they be able to find any common ground? Playbook’s Adam Wren and New York Playbook co-author Nick Reisman walk through what they’re watching. Plus, exclusive reporting on the man at the center of Indiana’s redistricting resistance, and Barack Obama’s new role as mentor-in-chief.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Extra value meals are back. That means 10 tender juicy McNuggets and medium fries and a drink are just $8.
0:08.4	Only at McDonald's.
0:10.2	For limited time only. Prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska, and California, and for delivery.
0:19.8	Today on the Playbook podcast, I have some exclusive reporting on President Donald Trump's redistricting pressure campaign in Indiana.
0:28.8	A preview of Trump's slated meeting with New York City mayor elect, Zoran Mamdani today, and former President Barack Obama embraces a new role, mentor in chief. Hello, I'm Adam
0:40.6	Redd. And I'm Nick Reisman. It's Friday, November 21st. And without further ado, here's what's
0:46.0	driving the day. Well, Nick, I'm not sure how close you've been paying attention to what's happening
0:52.0	in Indiana in the middle of the country.
0:54.8	But over the last week, it's been pretty wild. President Donald Trump has been targeting on true
1:00.6	social Roderick Bray. He's the Indiana Senate president who has been resistant to the president's
1:07.6	overtures to engage in mid-cycle redistricting, opening up the maps and
1:12.3	redrawing them to potentially get two congressional districts out of the Hoosier State next
1:17.9	November. And Roderick Bray is an institutionalist. And Nick, I spent time with Roderick
1:24.9	in his office this week. And he shared with me a few interesting takeaways.
1:29.4	He said that largely his conversations with the White House, with President Trump, with
1:34.4	Vice President Vance have been cordial until this last call that they had last Friday when
1:41.0	President Trump was very angry. The other interesting thing that Roderick Bray told me
1:46.2	is that he's essentially opposed to this redrawling because what he wants Republicans to do
1:51.2	is to focus on the first congressional district. It's in northwest Indiana, up by Chicago.
1:56.1	It's been trending red for a while now. He thinks that Indiana Republicans can flip that congressional seat the old
2:03.1	fashion way by winning an election. And so he's told President Trump that, Nick, I'm curious,
2:08.3	you know, you're in New York. What do you make of the way that the redistricting wars are playing out,
	...

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