Summary
Overview
Following major Democratic victories in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia elections, Anthony and Katty analyze what these results mean for Trump's political power and the future of the Democratic Party. The discussion centers on Zoran Mamdani's landslide mayoral win in New York, the rejection of MAGA politics, and whether progressive policies can work nationwide. They debate Trump's likely response, the generational economic divide driving young voters, and what strategy Democrats should adopt heading into the midterms.
Democrats' Overwhelming Election Night Victory
Democrats significantly overperformed expectations across New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, with particular attention on the size of their wins rather than just winning. Zoran Mamdani won the New York mayoral race by 40 points, while gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia showed decisive Democratic victories. Most notably, key demographics that had swung toward Trump in 2024—including young voters, Black voters, and Hispanic voters—swung decisively back to Democrats.
- Democrats had huge overperformance in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia elections
- Young people who swung to Trump in 2024 swung back to Democrats
- Black and brown voters who had moved toward Trump returned to Democrats with big margins
Trump's Messaging Challenge and Weakening Control
Trump's initial response has been claiming the elections were rigged and emphasizing his absence from the ballot. However, his narrative appears defensive as he faces an awkward meeting with Republican senators following the losses. The hosts discuss Trump's mastery of television and messaging, but question whether his typical playbook will work when these results suggest a broader repudiation of his governance rather than just his absence from the ballot.
- Trump's main response so far is claiming the election was rigged and noting he wasn't on the ballot
- Mark Thompson noted Trump's exceptional understanding of television production and presentation
- Trump meeting with Republican senators the morning after results in what will be an awkward meeting
" I think what's interesting about this race in New York, let's focus on New York for a second. If you took Sliwa, the Republican candidate, and you took the independent candidate, Cuomo, and you added those two together, you didn't get to Zoran Mamdani's total. "
" Listen, I think you're seeing the start of the decline of MAGA. That is my opinion. "
📚 5 more sections below
Sign up to unlock the complete summary with all insights, key points, and quotes
Get this summary + all future The Rest Is Politics: US episodes in your inbox
100% Free • Unsubscribe Anytime
Sign up now and we'll send you the complete summary of this episode, plus get notified when new The Rest Is Politics: US episodes are released—delivered straight to your inbox within minutes.