New York, November 06, 2025 – In a monologue that had the Ed Sullivan Theater shaking with applause, Stephen Colbert turned The Late Show into a battlefield for the soul of New York City. Fresh off Zohran Mamdani’s historic upset victory over establishment heavyweights Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, Colbert didn’t just celebrate – he delivered a savage takedown of the billionaire class that poured millions into trying to bury the 34-year-old democratic socialist.
“He just nut-punched New York’s fattest cats!” Colbert roared, channeling the raw energy of a city that hasn’t seen voter turnout this high since the Summer of Love. “The billionaires had their knives out for Zohran… They threw mountains of cash at anti-Mamdani groups… and still got nut-punched by democracy.”
As the crowd erupted, the question on everyone’s lips: Is this the dawn of a progressive renaissance in the Big Apple – or a billionaire bloodbath that could reshape American politics forever? With Trump already tweeting threats of “federal intervention,” and real estate tycoons packing U-Hauls for Florida, Mamdani’s win isn’t just a local earthquake – it’s a national tremor. Buckle up: the #NutPunchedByDemocracy memes are already exploding.
1. The Monologue That Broke the Internet: Colbert’s Unfiltered Victory Lap
It was 11:35 PM ET, and America was still buzzing from Election Night chaos. Democrats had flipped governors’ mansions in New Jersey and Virginia, but nothing topped Mamdani’s razor-thin triumph – a 50.2% squeaker that shattered records with over 2 million votes cast, the most since 1969. Colbert, ever the sharp-tongued bard of the resistance, opened with a grin that said, I’ve been waiting for this.
Colbert: “Folks, if you’ve been following the election, the billionaires had the knives out for Zohran, pumping massive amounts of cash into anti-Mamdani groups… So it’s a bad day for billionaires – or, as is also known, still a pretty good day. They’re still billionaires. Things don’t really go bad for them.” (Pause for laughter, then the kill shot:) “Mamdani didn’t just beat Cuomo and Sliwa. He murder-ized them… and nut-punched the fat cats who thought money could buy City Hall!”
The studio crowd – a mix of wide-eyed millennials and grizzled union vets – lost it. Phones lit up like Times Square on New Year’s. By midnight, #NutPunchedByDemocracy was trending #1 globally, with 1.4 million posts in the first hour alone. Colbert didn’t stop there. He roasted Cuomo’s “third-party pity party” (after losing the Democratic primary in June) and Sliwa’s Guardian Angels as “cosplay vigilantes who couldn’t guard a parking spot.” But the real fire? Praising Mamdani’s grassroots juggernaut: “This wasn’t bought with Bloomberg bucks or Clinton cameos. This was people power – immigrants, Gen Z, even some Latvian truck drivers and Nepalese librarians!” (Colbert nailed Mamdani’s multicultural shoutouts from his victory speech with a spot-on impression.)
Viewership spiked 40% over average, hitting 8.2 million live viewers – the highest for The Late Show since the 2024 election. X users called it “Colbert’s Red Wedding for the 1%,” with one viral clip racking up 12 million views by dawn.
2. Mamdani’s Miracle: From Assemblyman to Mayor-Elect in 18 Months
To understand the shock, rewind to last fall. Zohran Mamdani – a Ugandan-born, Queens-raised state assemblyman and DSA firebrand – was a political nobody outside progressive circles. At 34, he’s set to become NYC’s first Muslim mayor, first South Asian mayor, and youngest in over a century. His platform? A socialist fever dream: free buses, universal childcare, rent freezes on stabilized units, and a “Green New Deal for Gotham.” No corporate donors. Just viral TikToks in five languages, street interviews with halal cart workers, and a relentless affordability crusade.
Cuomo, the scandal-scarred ex-governor, entered as a third-party “moderate” after bombing the primary – backed by a $150 million super PAC war chest from real estate moguls and Wall Street wolves. Sliwa, the Republican radio host, polled in single digits. Incumbent Eric Adams? Dropped out in September amid federal probes and endorsed Cuomo.
Mamdani flipped the script with record turnout: 65% early voting, surges in immigrant-heavy Queens and Brooklyn’s working-class precincts. Exit polls showed Jewish voters breaking 60-31 for Cuomo – a flashpoint over Mamdani’s pro-Palestine activism – but he won moderates and youth by 20+ points. Victory speech at Brooklyn Paramount? Pure poetry: “New York will remain a city of immigrants… led by an immigrant. To get to any of us, you’ll have to get through all of us” – a direct shot at Trump.
Colbert nailed why it mattered: “This is what democracy looks like when it’s not for sale.”
3. The Billionaire Backlash: Knives Out, Wallets Open – And Now, the Reckoning
Colbert’s “fattest cats” line wasn’t hyperbole. Super PACs like New Yorkers for a Balanced Future (code for landlord lobby) dumped $120 million against Mamdani – ads painting him as a “Hamas sympathizer” and “tax terrorist.” Donors? Michael Bloomberg, Bill Clinton, even a late Trump endorsement for Cuomo. Mamdani countered with $8 million from small-dollar DSA donors and viral stunts, like eating street food to blast permit fees.
Post-win? Panic mode. A Jewish FDNY commissioner resigned in protest, citing Mamdani’s “anti-Israel views.” Trump blasted it as “communism vs. common sense” from Miami, vowing to “help” NYC – code for cutting federal funds. Real estate sales to Florida surged 200% overnight, with BH Group closing $100M in deals from fleeing New Yorkers. X lit up with doomsayers: “Socialist NYC = Venezuela 2.0!” vs. jubilant lefties: “Eat the rich, starting with rent!”
Prominent Jewish groups issued a statement: “Mamdani’s beliefs are at odds with our values.” Yet Mamdani’s coalition – from Gen Z to Black and Latino working-class voters – proved unbreakable.
4. Colbert’s History with Mamdani: From Tense Grillings to Triumphant Toasts
This isn’t Colbert’s first rodeo with Mamdani. Back in June 2025, during the primary, he hosted Mamdani and rival Brad Lander for a cross-endorsement chat – but it got spicy. Producers allegedly pitched a “thumbs-up/thumbs-down game” on Gaza (prompted by a pro-Israel letter from Elie Wiesel’s son), which Mamdani called “distilling genocide into late-night fodder.” Colbert pressed: “Does Israel have a right to exist?” Mamdani: “Yes, like all nations – and a responsibility to uphold international law.”
Critics cried “gotcha,” but Mamdani used it to humanize: Stories of Jewish constituents fearing antisemitism, promises to bridge divides. Fast-forward to now: Colbert’s full-throated endorsement feels like redemption. “Zohran’s the real deal,” he quipped. “A socialist who’ll make NYC affordable – or die trying.”
X reactions? Split: Progressives hailed it as “Colbert peaking,” while conservatives fumed, “Even late-night’s gone full commie.”
5. What’s Next? Mandate for Mayhem or Messianic Hope?
Mamdani takes office January 1, inheriting a $112 billion budget, a housing crisis, and Trump’s crosshairs. His “ambitious agenda” – echoing Fiorello LaGuardia – includes auditing city contracts with Israel-linked firms and divesting from occupation profiteers. Allies like AOC and Bernie are buzzing; foes like the UJA warn of “deep divides.”
Colbert closed with a zinger: “Zohran’s win? Proof that in America, underdogs can still bite back.” But whispers of a “slim majority” in the City Council spell gridlock. Will free buses roll, or will lawsuits stall them? One thing’s sure: Billionaires are brunching in Miami, plotting sequels.
Final Word: When Late-Night Meets Revolution, the Fat Cats Flee
Stephen Colbert’s nut-punch heard ’round the world wasn’t just comedy – it was catharsis for a city (and nation) tired of pay-to-play politics. Mamdani’s victory proves democracy isn’t dead; it’s just underfunded. As X erupts with “fattest cats” edits and Trump rants, one truth lingers: In the city that never sleeps, the people just woke up.
Will Mamdani deliver utopia or utopia-adjacent? Tune in – or better yet, pack for Florida. The revolution’s just getting started.
