Where this was said
Low Turnout, Big Claims: The Mechanics of DSA Momentum
At 41:34 · chapter starts 40:50
Shapiro walks through the numbers: Politico reported that the celebrated 'turnout machine' was AWOL on primary day, with roughly 330,000 NYC voters casting ballots by 3 PM compared to over 710,000 at the same hour during Mamdani's 2025 landslide. [1] — Ben Shapiro "Mamdani's victories came on less than half the turnout of his own mayoral primary. Politico noted the turnout machine was 'AWOL.' But the D…" 40:40 But the DSA isn't primarily fighting a turnout war — it's fighting a narrative war. Hasan Piker arrives in Times Square wearing Cartier glasses — what Shapiro calls 'millionaire status nonsense' — to declare 'the decade of socialism is coming to a neighborhood near you' and to proclaim Times Square 'commie town.' Shapiro plays Piker's clips to illustrate Step 2 of the playbook: regardless of raw vote counts, loudly claim the wave is here and let social media carry the story to young audiences who live online.
Hasan Piker, celebrating in Times Square he declared 'commie town,' used his platform to directly threaten moderate Democrat Richie Torres, warning him he has two years before the DSA comes for him. This is the intimidation phase of the four-step strategy playing out live.
