A new poll reveals what New Yorkers really think about the state of the city—and the results might surprise you.Kicking off the Race to Gracie Mansion series, Bradley and guest co-host Tom Allon (City & State Publisher) break down the largest study of NYC voters in years with the people behind it: John Della Volpe (Founder & CEO, SocialSphere) and Jamie Rubin (Board Chair, NYCHA). As the 2025 mayoral race heats up, they take a closer look into what New Yorkers are actually saying about crime, affordability, quality of life, and more—and what it all means for the city's future.Subscribe to Firewall to catch every episode of The Road to Gracie Mansion, where we sit down with the leading mayoral candidates and cut through the noise. First episode drops March 27.Chapters:00:01:41 - Why Commission This Poll?00:03:08 - Key Findings: What New Yorkers Are Saying00:04:34 - What Makes This Poll Different?00:06:04 - Pessimism in NYC: A Return to the '80s?00:07:36 - Is NYC Part of a National Trend?00:09:14 - The Mayoral Race: Breaking Down Voter Segments00:12:27 - The Progressive Divide00:15:24 - Eric Adams: Does He Have a Path to Re-Election?00:17:27 - Cuomo’s Lead in the Polls00:22:22 - Who Can Win? Evaluating Other Candidates00:28:20 - Crime, Public Safety, and Perceptions vs. Reality00:37:43 - NYC's Public Transit & Congestion Pricing00:41:20 - Involuntary Confinement for Mentally Ill: Strong Support00:44:33 - Migrant Crisis: Public Attitudes00:48:07 - Housing Crisis & NYCHA Redevelopment00:52:53 - Closing Thoughts & Where to Find More on the PollThe Landmark Study Reveals NYC Voters' Deep Concerns About City's Direction Ahead of 2025 Mayoral Election: https://www.jamesrubin.com/nyc-opinion-surveyThis episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, be sure to order his new book, Vote With Your Phone. 

The advice for how Columbia University should respond to Trump's slashing of funds is the same for anybody facing adversity — start by knowing your own values. Without that, argues Bradley, no strategy or tactics, however brilliant, are going to work. Plus he explains why "Trump is like the Terminator, he comes back stronger," weighs his own skills as a probabilistic thinker, and reveals why he never ever carries anything with him. That's just who he is.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, be sure to order his new book, Vote With Your Phone. 

Columbia Business School professor Michael Morris, author of Tribal: How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together, joins Bradley to break down the psychology behind how humans organize into groups, why we’re wired to trust and follow, and how these instincts shape everything we do, especially politics. "People aren’t just voting for policies," Morris says, "they’re choosing a tribe, a social identity. That’s why facts alone don’t change minds."This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, be sure to order his new book, Vote With Your Phone. 

Sitting in a long Bar Mitzvah service, Bradley started wondering about the performative side of religion. If we believe in a God who is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, what does God need with all this endless praise? Kinda reminds you of someone else, doesn't it? Plus, Bradley unloads on the cruelty of Trump and Musk's proposed budget cuts and analyzes whether a big drop in popularity can stop Trump this time. Finally, now that the Andrew Cuomo redemption tour is officially on, why is his frontrunner status different than Andrew Yang's four year ago? This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, be sure to order his new book, Vote With Your Phone.

Raj Goyle argues that Democrats don’t need a radical agenda to beat Trump—they just need to prove they can solve everyday problems. The founder of Phone Free New York joins Bradley to talk about the fight to ban phones in schools, how the legal system quietly robs every American, and why campaigns should be run like startups—fast, lean, and ruthless.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, be sure to order his new book, Vote With Your Phone. 

A lot of what we do on our phones — maybe even most of it — is positive and productive, argues Bradley, but we need to clearly differentiate between good habits and mindless scrolling. He lays out the concept of "a screen time diet" that evaluates our digital consumption just like we do our nutritional intake. Plus, what brings Trump crashing back to earth, how a broken City Hall affects life in New York and why short players are great for basketball.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, be sure to order his new book, Vote With Your Phone. 

How does a venture capitalist find start-ups that are worth believing in? Bradley sits down with Pip Lawrence, co-founder of Delphi VC, for a wide-ranging discussion on his approach to investing, what attracts him to psychedelic therapy, how LA feels in the aftermath of the fires and why he's committed to the cause of Holocaust education.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, be sure to order his new book, Vote With Your Phone.

Get ready for big ideas flying all over the place in this episode. First, Bob Greenlee argues that Trump's pitch to expand the American empire — into Greenland, Gaza, Panama and Canada — goes hand in hand with his campaign to eradicate DEI. Taken together, they tell a heroic narrative meant to inspire and channel ambitions toward new visions of greatness. But is it a hustle or a real thing that Americans genuinely want? Plus, Bradley and Bob debate the idea that any particular religion could be "right", why immersion in our phones doesn't produce the atomizing hellscape that critics claim, and whether the popular view of altruism is just plain wrongThis episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, be sure to order his new book, Vote With Your Phone.

Hugo Lindgren, a friend and producer of Bradley Tusk, joins the discussion on shifting investments in the tech landscape. They explore Bradley's evolution from a services-for-equity model back to his roots, revealing insights about successful funds and upcoming ventures. The conversation dives into navigating the chaotic regulatory environment and its implications for startups, plus a bold proposal for revamping New York's subway system. They also touch on the intertwining of philanthropy and investment, revealing the complexities of modern funding strategies.

Trump’s Justice Department has made waves by dropping charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams. This shocking move raises questions about its implications for the 2025 mayoral race and Adams' future. With his approval ratings struggling, will this decision bolster his position or expose vulnerabilities? Bradley digs into the paradox that, despite controversies, Adams' administration could be at its peak. This analysis offers a gripping look at the intertwining of politics and legal drama.