We love our Friends, but we’re keeping it Krystal & Kyle this week to go IN on another absolutely crazy week in American politics. Even the tiny fraction of the Epstein files we’re allowed to see (and the entirety of the files was supposed to be released by December 19 — what are they hiding!! We have some ideas) have revealed the utter rot at the core of our society, sustained by the depravity of the most rich and powerful men in our society. We also have a lot to say about the tricky (to say the least) world of NY Democratic politics that Zohran Mamdani is now navigating as the mayor of New York City. Plus a lot more, as usual! Watch below…

A lot has been made on the American left about Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement of Kathy Hochul for re-election as New York governor. The move struck some as a surprise. After all, Hochul is very much a mainstream Democrat. She endorsed Mamdani, but she does not belong to the tradition of class-struggle politics that elevated Zohran to an incredible upset in the mayoral race. Now Mamdani has returned the endorsement, and the distance between his own political commitments and his endorsee’s has caused friction among some of his supporters. In a piece for the Nation, Zohran explains his support, pointing to the important role Hochul played in the implementation of his sweeping plan for universal childcare (the contribution of $1 billion of state funds). Our discussion of this topic focuses on the thin line Zohran is walking when it comes to sticking to his principles and actually making sure that they are realized in successful policy. And so far, we think that he deserves less negative feedback than he’s gotten. The rental rip-off hearings illustrate a clear commitment to rooting out and shutting down slumlords. Zohran is starting an audacious and necessary conversation on higher taxes for the rich. As the left continues to calibrate its approach to critiquing him and holding him accountable, understanding the importance of his political compromises will be essential to that approach.

We also talk about how the bombshell of the Epstein files release (with much more to come, if the government is actually held to the law) is revealing a shadow government of moneyed interests at the helm of American politics. Billionaires guilty of the most heinous and brutal crimes have yet to face real repercussions. The cover-up we’re witnessing in real time as the Trump admin scrambles to prevent new revelations — especially of its supreme leader’s key role in the operation — speaks to how completely unaccountable our government is, and the total impunity with which its most powerful members (as well as many of the most powerful figures in international politics) commit acts of sexual exploitation. We fit this discussion into the context of class warfare, contextualizing it with considerations of how those implicated by the Epstein files’ release have the power to scapegoat and attack immigrants, trans people, and other civilians they designate as “political enemies” to distract from their behavior.

Thanks for tuning in to KK&F. You can listen to this episode when it’s released as a podcast tomorrow on major streaming platforms.