Mendte in the Morning talks to Dov Hikind about Zohran Mamdani’s Mayoral run as well as why it is so important to defeat him.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, I'm very excited to have our next guest on
Dove Hiken. As a former member of the New York Assembly,
he was there for over three decades. He is founder
of Americans Against Anti Semitism, and I saw him the
other day on Fox News. I believe it was Fox News.
He can correct me if I'm wrong, and he was
great in talking about zorin Mam Donnie. So I'm so glad,
(00:20):
Dove that you said yes when we asked you to
come on.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Thank you, sir, it's my pleasure to be with you.
This is an important moment, not just for New York,
but as you pointed out, the country. The nation is
watching what happens in New York and one thing we
must defeat, Mom, Donnie, there is no question about it.
We need to take him very seriously. He's smart. In fact,
(00:44):
he's more than smart. You know. Just yesterday he talked
about additional funds to fight anti Semitism. Well, the best
way to fight anti Semitism is to have him disappear.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
That's true. I want to play something for you.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Eric Adams announced yesterday that he was officially running, and
then he was everywhere, including the Don Lemon podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
And here's what I wanted to play for you. Do
you think he's an anti semi? Yes? I do.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I think some of the comments, you know, you look
at some of his rap lyrics where he's talked about,
you know, his embracing of Hamas.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
That says a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
So if his rap lyrics embrace Hamas and he's been
an anti Semite, they were talking about being an anti
Semite now for over a decade.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
That goes way back. But can Eric Adams beat him? Who?
Who is who can take him on? Right now?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Well, I, first of all, I would urge everyone to
take a step back. And I know this is very serious,
but we need to all watch carefully what happens. I
would say by September first, you know, just about Labor Day.
I'm you know, I am supporting Curtis Sliwa, but I
think all of us need to look and say, okay,
(01:59):
what on Labor Day? What's the story? Look? Culomo's running.
I wish there was only one single candidate of the
three that are running right now. I know there are
a bunch of others, but the three main candidates, we
need one. But that's not happening. Cloma is running Adams
is running, and of course Curtis so wait, let's wait
(02:20):
to Labor Day. Labor Day, we see what the situation is.
Everybody has a chance to work for two months. Let's
see what you can do. We look at the polls.
We'll watch the polls. At the end of the day.
Everyone has to get off their high horse and say
we need to do what's best for the people of
the City of New York, all people in the City
(02:42):
of New York and support one single person. So I'm
hoping that will happen. I'm not a great fan former governor.
I'm not crazy about Adams. Okay, you know the last
four years as mayor, I'm not quite sure what he did. Okay,
he established a task force to fight anti seminism.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
You know when when was that?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
That's the last four years? Two freaking weeks ago. Where
have you been? Like, why didn't you do it a
year ago? Three years ago? The numbers were sky rocketing, right, Okay,
So I'm ready to support him, Cuomo, you name it,
I'll be on the same page. Let's give everyone a chance.
You are absolutely correct, Larry, he Mamdani can be beaten.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Oh I think he can too. At the end, I
think he can too.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I'm more worried about the vote being split between everyone else.
But I also think the more that comes out about him,
the more he's going to start to slide a little
bit in the polls. I do think he's an absolute
danger to the society. But I'll tell you something, and
I found this out personally because you may have heard
I posted something on social media and I was attacked
(03:59):
by the by the Mom Donnie people.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I mean, they are.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Legion on social media, and they are energized and they're excited.
We need that same energy, even if it's anti Mom Donnie.
We need that same energy on the other side, and
I'm not sure it's there right now.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
You're absolutely correct, it's not there. So that's why I'm saying,
let's give credit to the other side. We talking so
much and we need to support this one or that one.
First of all, let's make sure that your neighbor, your friends,
your family, that every single person is registered to vote
(04:39):
in November. If you own a home in New York,
if Mam Donnie gets elected the day after, your house
is going to be worth twenty percent less. You won't
even be able to sell you your house if you
want to get out of New York. He Mam, Donnie
is a catastrophe for New York, no question about it.
(04:59):
Everyone out there, Let's.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Talk about something really important right here, because I think
we at this point can't be belabored enough. He's promising
all these things for free, and he says he's going
to raise the income tax on the Ridge and raise
the corporate tax that has to come out of the state,
and then they have to agree to send money to
New York City. You've been in the Assembly. You're the
(05:21):
best person to ask on this. You've been in the
Assembly for thirty six years. Can that happen?
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I would hope not. But the Assembly and State Senate
that exists in twenty twenty five, it's quite different from
the one I left a couple of years ago. It
is very much to the left, a lot of radicals there.
You know, nothing is impossible. It's a different world up
in Albany. When I left Albany, the Republicans controlled the
(05:51):
State Senate and they made sure that all the crazy
stuff that the Assembly was doing and passing never got
anywhere because they stopped it. So let's not the best
thing we can do is to make sure Mamdani is
not the mayor of New York. And we can do
it if we're smart, if every single person, instead of
(06:13):
just talking and getting excited, do something concrete, like make
sure everybody's resister to vote, make sure let's work continuously.
We have to make sure people come out to vote
in November. I mean that the numbers will be dramatic.
We need seventy eighty percent of the people coming out
to vote. If the people come out to vote, the people,
(06:35):
well people in New York, Mamdani will lose and it
will not be close. So there's a lot of work
to be done.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yeah, that's really hoping. That's really well said.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
It is really well said because because he has an
energized base and the other people have to be just
as energized. And you're right, it is not out there
right now. I think it's really fascinating. And you were
great to talk to right now because you switch parties,
so you saw this coming a while ago. Tell people
why you switch parties.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Well, I switched parties because I saw the Democratic Party
not being the party of my parents, of every one
of my family in the past. It is a radicalized party.
I mean, look, right now, you have people like Jerry Nagler,
a Jew, a guy who went to Yeshiva by the Way,
parochial school, who endorsed Ma'm donnie for God's sake us,
(07:32):
people like Schumer, the protector of the Jewish people. That's
what he says all of his life. He protects the
Jewish people, an absolute fraud. He sending beautiful messages to
I'm Donnie, congratulating him. So the enemy is also within.
But you know what, Larry, It's okay, we're gonna do fine.
We're going to win if we're united on some level
(07:55):
and create that enthusiasm. You know what, I you know
what I can The best example I can give Dinkins
Juliani in the nineteen nineties when New York was in trouble,
people were afraid of, you know, whether there was a
future in New York, and people came out to vote.
I remember I was a you know, a Democrat. I
(08:15):
supported Juliani and if people were coming out the post
clothes at nine o'clock, there were still lines around the
lock in a park.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah, that's what we need right now. Dove, You've been great,
and that's all great advice. And I hope we can
do that. Come back, let's talk about it again. Dove Hiken,
former member of the New York Assembly, founder of Americans
Against Anti Semitism,
Well, I'm very excited to have our next guest on
Dove Hiken. As a former member of the New York Assembly,
he was there for over three decades. He is founder
of Americans Against Anti Semitism, and I saw him the
other day on Fox News. I believe it was Fox News.
He can correct me if I'm wrong, and he was
great in talking about zorin Mam Donnie. So I'm so glad,
(00:20):
Dove that you said yes when we asked you to
come on.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Thank you, sir, it's my pleasure to be with you.
This is an important moment, not just for New York,
but as you pointed out, the country. The nation is
watching what happens in New York and one thing we
must defeat, Mom, Donnie, there is no question about it.
We need to take him very seriously. He's smart. In fact,
(00:44):
he's more than smart. You know. Just yesterday he talked
about additional funds to fight anti Semitism. Well, the best
way to fight anti Semitism is to have him disappear.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
That's true. I want to play something for you.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Eric Adams announced yesterday that he was officially running, and
then he was everywhere, including the Don Lemon podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
And here's what I wanted to play for you. Do
you think he's an anti semi? Yes? I do.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I think some of the comments, you know, you look
at some of his rap lyrics where he's talked about,
you know, his embracing of Hamas.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
That says a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
So if his rap lyrics embrace Hamas and he's been
an anti Semite, they were talking about being an anti
Semite now for over a decade.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
That goes way back. But can Eric Adams beat him? Who?
Who is who can take him on? Right now?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Well, I, first of all, I would urge everyone to
take a step back. And I know this is very serious,
but we need to all watch carefully what happens. I
would say by September first, you know, just about Labor Day.
I'm you know, I am supporting Curtis Sliwa, but I
think all of us need to look and say, okay,
(01:59):
what on Labor Day? What's the story? Look? Culomo's running.
I wish there was only one single candidate of the
three that are running right now. I know there are
a bunch of others, but the three main candidates, we
need one. But that's not happening. Cloma is running Adams
is running, and of course Curtis so wait, let's wait
(02:20):
to Labor Day. Labor Day, we see what the situation is.
Everybody has a chance to work for two months. Let's
see what you can do. We look at the polls.
We'll watch the polls. At the end of the day.
Everyone has to get off their high horse and say
we need to do what's best for the people of
the City of New York, all people in the City
(02:42):
of New York and support one single person. So I'm
hoping that will happen. I'm not a great fan former governor.
I'm not crazy about Adams. Okay, you know the last
four years as mayor, I'm not quite sure what he did. Okay,
he established a task force to fight anti seminism.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
You know when when was that?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
That's the last four years? Two freaking weeks ago. Where
have you been? Like, why didn't you do it a
year ago? Three years ago? The numbers were sky rocketing, right, Okay,
So I'm ready to support him, Cuomo, you name it,
I'll be on the same page. Let's give everyone a chance.
You are absolutely correct, Larry, he Mamdani can be beaten.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Oh I think he can too. At the end, I
think he can too.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I'm more worried about the vote being split between everyone else.
But I also think the more that comes out about him,
the more he's going to start to slide a little
bit in the polls. I do think he's an absolute
danger to the society. But I'll tell you something, and
I found this out personally because you may have heard
I posted something on social media and I was attacked
(03:59):
by the by the Mom Donnie people.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I mean, they are.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Legion on social media, and they are energized and they're excited.
We need that same energy, even if it's anti Mom Donnie.
We need that same energy on the other side, and
I'm not sure it's there right now.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
You're absolutely correct, it's not there. So that's why I'm saying,
let's give credit to the other side. We talking so
much and we need to support this one or that one.
First of all, let's make sure that your neighbor, your friends,
your family, that every single person is registered to vote
(04:39):
in November. If you own a home in New York,
if Mam Donnie gets elected the day after, your house
is going to be worth twenty percent less. You won't
even be able to sell you your house if you
want to get out of New York. He Mam, Donnie
is a catastrophe for New York, no question about it.
(04:59):
Everyone out there, Let's.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Talk about something really important right here, because I think
we at this point can't be belabored enough. He's promising
all these things for free, and he says he's going
to raise the income tax on the Ridge and raise
the corporate tax that has to come out of the state,
and then they have to agree to send money to
New York City. You've been in the Assembly. You're the
(05:21):
best person to ask on this. You've been in the
Assembly for thirty six years. Can that happen?
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I would hope not. But the Assembly and State Senate
that exists in twenty twenty five, it's quite different from
the one I left a couple of years ago. It
is very much to the left, a lot of radicals there.
You know, nothing is impossible. It's a different world up
in Albany. When I left Albany, the Republicans controlled the
(05:51):
State Senate and they made sure that all the crazy
stuff that the Assembly was doing and passing never got
anywhere because they stopped it. So let's not the best
thing we can do is to make sure Mamdani is
not the mayor of New York. And we can do
it if we're smart, if every single person, instead of
(06:13):
just talking and getting excited, do something concrete, like make
sure everybody's resister to vote, make sure let's work continuously.
We have to make sure people come out to vote
in November. I mean that the numbers will be dramatic.
We need seventy eighty percent of the people coming out
to vote. If the people come out to vote, the people,
(06:35):
well people in New York, Mamdani will lose and it
will not be close. So there's a lot of work
to be done.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yeah, that's really hoping. That's really well said.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
It is really well said because because he has an
energized base and the other people have to be just
as energized. And you're right, it is not out there
right now. I think it's really fascinating. And you were
great to talk to right now because you switch parties,
so you saw this coming a while ago. Tell people
why you switch parties.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Well, I switched parties because I saw the Democratic Party
not being the party of my parents, of every one
of my family in the past. It is a radicalized party.
I mean, look, right now, you have people like Jerry Nagler,
a Jew, a guy who went to Yeshiva by the Way,
parochial school, who endorsed Ma'm donnie for God's sake us,
(07:32):
people like Schumer, the protector of the Jewish people. That's
what he says all of his life. He protects the
Jewish people, an absolute fraud. He sending beautiful messages to
I'm Donnie, congratulating him. So the enemy is also within.
But you know what, Larry, It's okay, we're gonna do fine.
We're going to win if we're united on some level
(07:55):
and create that enthusiasm. You know what, I you know
what I can The best example I can give Dinkins
Juliani in the nineteen nineties when New York was in trouble,
people were afraid of, you know, whether there was a
future in New York, and people came out to vote.
I remember I was a you know, a Democrat. I
(08:15):
supported Juliani and if people were coming out the post
clothes at nine o'clock, there were still lines around the
lock in a park.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah, that's what we need right now. Dove, You've been great,
and that's all great advice. And I hope we can
do that. Come back, let's talk about it again. Dove Hiken,
former member of the New York Assembly, founder of Americans
Against Anti Semitism,
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