The Brian Lehrer Show Exit Interview for Rep. Nadler
Sep 5, 2025
U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler, a veteran politician from New York, discusses his imminent retirement after a long career marked by key judicial roles and impeachments. He reflects on generational shifts in political leadership and the balance of youth and experience in the Democratic Party. Nadler also tackles critical topics like budget disputes in Congress and their implications for local politics, shares insights from his early life and student activism, and examines the complexities of accountability in today's political landscape.
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From Poultry Farm To Brooklyn Roots
- Jerrold Nadler recounts his family's move from a New Jersey poultry farm back to Brooklyn after the farms failed when he was ten.
- He describes his father's later work building an auto-supply route and small business before health issues ended that work.
Colonial Campus Activism Shaped His Start
- Nadler describes joining Columbia politics to work on the Eugene McCarthy campaign and becoming active during the 1968 campus strike.
- He recounts opposing SDS restrictions, winning a seat on the strike committee, and later forming a counter committee when SDS-controlled leaders ignored the broader committee.
Unusual Path Into Congress
- Nadler explains he entered Congress after Ted Weiss died the day before the primary, winning the party's county committee vote and two elections on the same day.
- He details the unusual process where Weiss won posthumously and party rules led to Nadler's nomination and special election.