[MUSIC - Marden Hill: Hijack]

Brian Lehrer: It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning, everyone, as we move from Merry Christmas week to Happy New Year week, so Happy New Year, everyone. Just three days in advance. Today, we have a two-track special, end-of-year show. It's our annual end-of-year news quiz. First of all, were you paying attention in 2025? Get two in a row right, and you can choose between a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap and a 2025 WNYC tote that says, "You can't defund the truth." Who wants to play? 212-433-WNYC. You can call right now, 212-433-9692.

Again, it's our annual end-of-year news quiz. Were you paying attention in 2025? Get two in a row right, and you can choose between a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap and a 2025 WNYC tote that's says, "You can't defund the truth." You can start calling right now for our first round, which will be questions about the New York City mayoral race. 212-433-9692. We have questions about the primary and the general election. Who wants to play? 212-433-WNYC. Again, get two in a row right, and you can choose between a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap and a 2025 WNYC tote that says, "You can't defund the truth." 212-433-9692. That's 212-433-WNYC.

Here we go with our end-of-year news quiz, Round 1, questions about the New York City mayoral race. As I said, we have questions about the primary and the general election. Get two in a row right, and you can choose between a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap and the 2025 WNYC tote that says, "You can't defund the truth." Coming up later, we'll have other questions on other topics, but we're going to start with the mayoral race. Beth on the Lower East Side. Hey, Beth, you're on WNYC. Happy New Year. Ready to play?

Beth: I am ready. Happy New Year to you, too, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Okay, I co-moderated a mayoral primary debate in June. True or false? Eric Adams was one of the candidates in that debate.

Beth: False.

Brian Lehrer: False. He had dropped out of the Democratic primary by then to run as an independent. Question two for the hat or the tote, nine candidates qualified and were on the stage for that Democratic mayoral primary debate. Three of them were Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander, and Andrew Cuomo, as you probably know. Can you name any one of the other six?

Beth: Oh, God. Oh, my gosh. [laughs] I think you've got me. Can I name any one of the other six? I should know this. I watched it.

Brian Lehrer: A former comptroller, a city council speaker.

Beth: Oh, oh, oh, oh. Yes, yes, Adams. Adrienne Adams.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, that is right. Adrienne Adams was in.

Beth: Thank you. [laughs]

Brian Lehrer: Would you like The Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or the "You can't defund the truth" tote?

Beth: Brian, I love you, but I have two Brian Lehrer baseball caps.

Brian Lehrer: [laughs]

Beth: I'm going to take the "You can't defund the truth" tote.

Brian Lehrer: Good choice. Hang on, Beth, we'll take your address off the air. Yes, the whole list was Adrienne Adams, Michael Blake, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer, and Whitney Tilson. All right, let's continue. Here's Mark in the Flatiron District. Hey, Mark. Happy New Year. Ready to play?

Mark: Yes, I am.

Brian Lehrer: Okay, here's a clip from an ad from the Brad Lander campaign during the primary. The question is going to be, where was this ad shot? If you had the visual, you would know, obviously, but you're going to have the audio. Where was--

Mark: I think I know already.

Brian Lehrer: Okay, we'll play it anyway for the fun of it. Here we go.

Advertisement: New York City feels like this a lot lately.

Mark: Coney Island.

Advertisement: It's been a wild ride, but it won't change if we just swap Eric Adams for corrupt Andrew Cuomo. Brad Lander has served through the ups and downs, fighting corruption, ending wasteful government spending, building affordable housing, taking on Trump and Musk when they stole $80 million from New Yorkers, and keeping his cool. New York City is a ride in itself. Buckle up, remain seated, and vote for Brad Lander. Paid for by Lander 2025.

Brian Lehrer: Hah, so to our question, were you paying attention in 2025? The answer is obviously yes, because you said it during the clip. Coney Island.

Mark: Coney Island, yes.

Brian Lehrer: On the riding the-- you don't need this--

Mark: The Cyclone.

Brian Lehrer: On the Cyclone, and he was also eating a hot dog at the same time. Okay, so that's one. For the hat or the tote, name the two Democrats who made history by being the first two candidates to ever cross-endorse each other in a ranked-choice primary election in the city.

Mark: Sure. Mamdani and Lander.

Brian Lehrer: That is true.

[trumpet sound]

Brian Lehrer: Here's a little from the spot in which they did that. Here's the spot.

Brad Lander: Early voting starts tomorrow, and we both know what we need to do to save our city from Andrew Cuomo. You want to tell them?

Zohran Mamdani: You go first.

Brad Lander: No, you go first.

Zohran Mamdani: Let's do it together.

Brad Lander and Zohran Mamdani: We're cross-endorsing.

Brian Lehrer: There you go. Would you like the WNYC "You can't defund the truth" tote or The Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap?

Mark: I'll take the tote.

Brian Lehrer: Mark, hang on. We will take your address off the air. Yes, Mamdani and Michael Blake also endorsed each other to give you a little more deets around that answer, but that came after Mamdani and Lander. The question was, who were the first? You may remember, the city also had a ranked-choice mayoral primary in 2021. As a footnote to history, Andrew Yang said he was also ranking or cross-endorsing Kathryn Garcia in 2021. She did not return the favor, so it did not count as a true cross-endorsement. All right, let's go next to Sharon in Queens. Hi, Sharon. Happy New Year. Ready to play?

Sharon: Happy New Year to you, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: One progressive New York State senator ended her campaign for mayor with these words that surprised many voters who had been sympathetic to her candidacy. Take a listen to these 13 seconds.

Jessica Ramos: Raising the minimum wage, building truly affordable housing, delivering for workers and immigrants. Those still need a champion. I know that with Andrew, we can deliver.

Brian Lehrer: Which candidate did we just hear, surprisingly, endorsing Andrew Cuomo in the primary as she dropped out?

Sharon: Is it Jessica Ramos?

Brian Lehrer: It absolutely is Jessica Ramos. Very good. Next question, and for the hat or the tote, Mayor-Elect Mamdani had a little bit of a rap music history, among other things, before getting into politics. We're going to ask you what name he went by as a rapper after we listen to 15 seconds of his song Nani.

[MUSIC - Mr. Cardamom: Nani]

Nani (Hit the ground for ya)

Nani (Make a sound for ya)

This a Nani anthem, champion of the bantamweight class

Whoop ass and hold ya for ransom

Got a grandson that's handsome and then some

Spends his income on Dim Sum to fill tum

Brian Lehrer: All right, so we're going to give you this as a multiple-choice question because we think it's hard. Was the name Mamdani went by as a rapper Mr. Cartadad, Mr. Cardamom, or Bro Socialist?

Sharon: Mr. Cardamom. Pure speculation.

Brian Lehrer: [chuckles] Pure speculation. Purely correct, and pure spice.

[trumpet sound]

Brian Lehrer: He took the name after the spice. I was just being playful by adding Mr. Cartadad as an option to Mr. Cardamom.

[laughter]

Brian Lehrer: Very good. Would you like a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or a "You can't defund the truth" tote?

Sharon: I would love the tote.

Brian Lehrer: You are going to get the tote, Sharon. Hang on. We're going to take your mailing address off the air. Okay, Alex in Flatbush is up next. Alex, Happy New Year. You ready to play?

Alex: I am. Happy New Year, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: We are still in our segment for people who are just joining us of our end-of-year news quiz on the New York City mayoral campaign. We head now to the general election. We know which animal Curtis Sliwa loves dearly, cats, but which New York City music venue, which band, or what genre of music, any one of the three, will get you a right answer, did he say was his favorite in a lighthearted moment in our candidates' debate? This was the general election debate that I was privileged to co-moderate. Name any one of those. The venue, the genre, or the group that Sliwa cited as--

Alex: Let's go the Chainsmokers, Under the K Street Bridge, and EDM.

Brian Lehrer: You ran the table. Listen.

Alex: Yes, right.

Moderator: What is your favorite live music venue in New York City, Mr. Sliwa?

Curtis Sliwa: Oh, Chainsmokers, EDM.

Moderator: Under the K Bridge, I presume.

Brian Lehrer: That's right, that club. All right, so that's one right. Now, that club called Under the K Bridge, what bridge is it under?

Alex: I feel like the pronunciation has changed over my lifetime, but I'm going to go with Kosciuszko.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, absolutely right. It was even a moment in the debate where somebody said "Koskiasko" Bridge. Cuomo jumped in and said, "It's Kosciuszko." Whatever it actually is, you've got two in a row right.

[trumpet sound]

Brian Lehrer: You win a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or a "You can't defund the truth" tote. Boy, people did pay attention to this story in 2025. Everybody's winning. Which one would you like?

Alex: Baseball cap, please. Thanks very much, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you, Alex. One baseball cap coming your way. Hang on. We will take your mailing address off the air. Let's go next to Micheline in Floral Park. Micheline, hi. You're on WNYC. Happy New Year. Ready to play?

Micheline: Happy New Year, Brian. Yes, I am ready.

Brian Lehrer: Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, as you probably know, decided to forego the Democratic primary and run as an independent. Name one of the two party ballot lines he was set to run on before ending his campaign. He created two ballot lines with names that he chose. This may be the hardest question we have so far. Do you know either of them?

Micheline: No, Brian. No.

Brian Lehrer: I'll give you a clue. One of them was against a certain kind of hate or discrimination.

[silence]

Brian Lehrer: Not sure?

Micheline: I'm not sure.

Brian Lehrer: Okay, Micheline. Sorry about that. It was the End Anti-Semitism party. That was one of his lines. The other one was the Safe and Affordable party line that Eric Adams was running on. Jeff in Manhattan, Happy New Year. Ready to play? Jeff in Manhattan, do we have you?

Jess: Hi. Is that me?

Brian Lehrer: That's you.

Jess: Okay, hi. Sorry. Yes, Jess. Not Jeff, but that's okay.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, Jess. Sorry about that. Okay, here's a clip of Candidate Andrew Cuomo at the Dominican Day Parade explaining why he had an issue with Mamdani's proposal to freeze the rent for all rent-stabilized units.

Andrew Cuomo: Rent-stabilized units, when they're vacant, should only be rented to people who need affordable housing, not people like Zohran "Mandami."

Brian Lehrer: Besides him mispronouncing Mamdani's name, what is the name of the law that Cuomo proposed to tackle the issue of wealthier New Yorkers obtaining rent-stabilized apartments? The name of the law that he said he would propose.

Jess: Was that law named the Fair Housing Act?

Brian Lehrer: Sorry about that, Jess. That is wrong. We're going to go next to Allan in Brooklyn. Allan, we're going to give you a chance to answer that question if you know it. Did you hear it?

Allan: Rephrase it again.

Brian Lehrer: What's the name of the law that Cuomo proposed to tackle the issue he was framing of wealthier New Yorkers obtaining rent-stabilized apartments?

Allan: My sense was something like income testing, but I'm not sure if that's it.

Brian Lehrer: No, that's not right. All right, that was Zohran's Law, is what he was going to call it in individual hostile framing. You don't get penalized for that because it was left over from the other caller. Your official first question, that was a bonus question for you. Take a listen to this clip of Cuomo anticipating the Mamdani-Trump relationship, and I'll ask you a question about that on the other side.

Andrew Cuomo: Donald Trump would go through "Mr. Mandami" like [sound cut]. He's been in government 27 minutes. He passed three bills. That's all he's done. He has no experience with Washington, no experience in New York City. He would be Trump's delight.

Brian Lehrer: You notice we had a little gap there where we deleted a few words, so it's a fill-in-the-blank question. He said, Donald Trump would go through Mr. Mamdani like a?

Allan: A knife through butter?

Brian Lehrer: Close enough. A hot knife through butter. Here it is.

Andrew Cuomo: Donald Trump would go through "Mr. Mandami" like a hot knife through butter.

Brian Lehrer: Okay, that's one. Never mind, it turned out that Trump was so nice to Mamdani when they met in person for the first time. We'll see how long that lasts. Here's a clip from Mamdani's victory speech on election night, and we're going to have a question about this clip afterwards. Here we go.

Zohran Mamdani: The sun may have set over our city this evening, but as [sound cut] once said-

[crowd cheering]

Zohran Mamdani: -I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.

[crowd cheering]

Brian Lehrer: After beating Cuomo in the November election, Mamdani-- Well, no, I'm sorry. That's the next question. The question on this one was, in brief, who was Eugene Debs, who we cited in that clip, at the very beginning of his victory speech?

Allan: Was he the founder of the Democratic Socialist Party of America?

Brian Lehrer: Not quite, but close. What did he do that was notable? I'll give you a chance here.

Allan: Well, he founded the Socialist Party in the United States.

Brian Lehrer: Well, the truth is, I don't know if he founded it, but what did he do as a socialist that was so notable at the time?

Allan: Well, he did not found the radio station that was named after his initials.

Brian Lehrer: [laughs] WEVD.

Allan: WEVD was named after him.

Brian Lehrer: That's right.

Allan: He didn't found that. That was done by others. Honestly, the one thing that you're looking for doesn't immediately come to mind.

Brian Lehrer: All right, sorry, Allan. I'm going to have to not be able to give you this one. The answer is, yes, he was an early 20th-century socialist, but he ran for president multiple times as a socialist. That's what he was best known for, being a multiple-time early socialist candidate for president. Okay, we only have one question left in this set. Kevin in Ridgewood, you're up next. Happy New Year. If you're ready to play, you get this special opportunity to win if you get one in a row right. You ready?

Kevin: Hey, Happy New Year, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Happy New Year to you. Here's the question. Again, it includes a clip. After beating Cuomo in the November election, Mamdani cited a famous New York political quote in his victory speech. Question is, who is he quoting here? Listen.

Zohran Mamdani: A great New Yorker once said that while you campaign in poetry, you govern in prose. If that must be true, let the prose we write still rhyme, and let us build a shining city for all.

Brian Lehrer: Who was the great New Yorker, as Mamdani put it there?

Kevin: He was quoting his dad.

Brian Lehrer: He was quoting Mario Cuomo. That's exactly right. Kevin, under the special rules at the end of our list for this topic, do you want to know how right you win? Would you like a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or a "You can't defund the truth" tote?

Kevin: I would love the hat, and I'd love to wear it while drinking out of my Brian Lehrer mug because I'm a returning champion.

Brian Lehrer: Hee-hee. Returning champion, Kevin in Ridgewood, goes to our playoff round, which maybe we'll do someday for previous winners. Hang on. We will take your address again off the air. That's Round 1. Coming up, Round 2 of our end-of-year news quiz. Eight true-or-false questions. Did President Trump name this after himself? True or false? That's next. Stay with us.

[MUSIC - Marden Hill: Hijack]

Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC with our end-of-year news quiz. Were you paying attention in 2025? The next topic in the quiz is, did President Trump really name this after himself? We have eight questions in this set, and we're going to start with Dan in Westwood, who's been patiently waiting. Hi, Dan. Happy New Year. Ready to play?

Dan: Yes. Hello, Brian, and Happy New Year to everybody.

Brian Lehrer: All right. True or false? President Trump renamed the Kennedy Center, the Donald J. Trump-John F. Kennedy Center after himself. True or false?

Dan: Yes, that's a horrible one in my opinion. [laughs]

Brian Lehrer: That's also the easy one, right? That's the one that's been so much in the news. That was the one to see if you're awake. Now, the second one. Oh, and I didn't say get two in a row right, and you can choose between The Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or the WNYC 2025 tote that says, "You can't defund the truth." You got one. You're halfway there. Question two, true or false? The President named a new kind of baby bond for newborns after himself. They are called Trump Accounts.

Dan: I'm not sure what it sounds like, something that he would do. I'm going to say yes.

Brian Lehrer: Yes is right.

[trumpet sound]

Brian Lehrer: He did create a kind of bond for newborns called Trump Accounts for babies born in 2025 through 2028, I believe, is the exact range of that. Yes, you got two in a row right. Would you like The Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or the "You can't defund the truth" tote?

Dan: I love a hat so much, and I'd wear it proudly. Love your show. Thank you so much, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you so much, Dan. Hang on. We're going to take your mailing address off the air. We're going to go next to Alex in Farmingdale. Hey, Alex, Happy New Year. Ready to play?

Alex: Yes, I'm ready to play.

Brian Lehrer: Okay. True or false? President Trump renamed the National Institute of Peace the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. True or false?

Alex: [sighs] True.

Brian Lehrer: True. For the hat or the tote, true or false? President Trump created a new kind of visa called the Trump Gold Visa.

Alex: True.

Brian Lehrer: True. That was fast. Two in a row right. Sound the trumpets.

[trumpet sound]

Brian Lehrer: We can't sound them for Edwin Diaz anymore, but we can sound them for you. Those were both right. Would you like The Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or the "You can't defund the truth" tote?

Alex: I'll take the tote, please.

Brian Lehrer: One tote coming to Farmingdale. Hang on. We will take your mailing address off the air. While we're on the island, next up happens to be Rhoda in Port Washington. Hi, Rhoda. Happy New Year. Ready to play?

Rhoda: Yes, ready to play. Happy New Year to you.

Brian Lehrer: Okay. Remember, the questions in this set are true or false about whether President Trump really named certain things after himself. The next one is, true or false? He announced the new program, allowing people to buy lower-cost prescription drugs, and named it TrumpRx.

Rhoda: Well, I'm not sure, but I'll say yes.

Brian Lehrer: That is true. For the hat or the tote, this isn't technically a naming, but close enough that it belongs in this category. True or false? He canceled free entry to national parks for Martin Luther King's birthday and replaced it with free entry to national parks on Trump's own birthday. True or false?

Rhoda: I'm guessing. I'll say true.

Brian Lehrer: That is true.

[trumpet sound]

Brian Lehrer: He canceled.

Rhoda: [laughs]

Brian Lehrer: Yes, you will win a hat or a tote. I'll give the full answer, and then we'll ask you what you want. Canceled, as The New York Times reported it earlier this month, MLK Day, headline, National Parks Drop Free Entrance on MLK Day and Juneteenth. It goes on, "Visitors will instead get free entry on President Trump's birthday, which coincides with Flag Day. That's June 14th." Technically, he made it Flag Day, but seems like The Times is suggesting there, as many others have, what the subtext clearly was. Would you like The Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap, or a "You can't defund the truth" WNYC tote?

Rhoda: Yes, thank you. I would like the baseball cap. Thank you very much.

Brian Lehrer: Baseball cap heading east. Hang on. We will take your mailing address off the air and go on to our next contestant, Evan in Ridgewood. Is that Ridgewood, Queens, or Ridgewood, New Jersey? Hi, Evan.

Evan: Hi. Of course, it's Queens.

Brian Lehrer: It is Queens today anyway. All right, here we go. Let's see. We have two left in this, "Did Trump name this after himself?" section of the quiz. The new ballroom he's building in the former East Wing of the White House will be called the Trump Ballroom.

Evan: I would assume that's true.

Brian Lehrer: That is absolutely true. The last one in this set. True or false? He is expected to announce today, it was reported, a new class of Navy battleships called the Trump Class.

Evan: I'm going to guess that's also true.

Brian Lehrer: That is also true.

[trumpet sound]

Brian Lehrer: Would you like a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or "You can't defund the truth" tote?

Evan: I've been dreaming of a baseball cap. Thank you so much.

Brian Lehrer: Dreaming of a chambray, not Mets blue, not Yankees blue, neutral in Subway Series terms, Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap. That's awesome. Evan, hang on. We are going to take your mailing address off the air. We have a few more Trump true-or-false questions that we can go on to in this set. Just finishing up on that list of, "Did he name these things after himself," every single true-or-false question on that list was true. Some of them were probably new to you. Most of that list came from the Miami Herald, which had an article last week that said, "Critics say Trump's naming frenzy is a symptom of an authoritarian streak.

It notes that that kind of naming is usually done posthumously, named by other people for honored people who have passed away." For example, the Kennedy Center shortly after JFK was assassinated. It cites, as criticism, for example, former Bush administration official David Frum, who posted on X about the battleship naming that's expected today. It said, "The US Navy is going full North Korean." At least that's what David Frum thinks. Maybe some news to you in those, as well as the true-or-false questions. We're going to go next to Mook in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mook, you ready to play with another Trump true or false?

Mook: I'm ready like SpongeBob SquarePants.

Brian Lehrer: [chuckles] Yes. A lot of our listeners know what that means. Did Donald Trump say, "Parents worried about the economy should just buy fewer Christmas gifts," explaining that children don't need "37 dolls," or did I invent that?

Mook: That's true.

Brian Lehrer: That is true. I think we have that here.

President Donald Trump: You always need steel. You don't need 37 dolls for your daughter. Two or three is nice, but you don't need 37 dolls.

Brian Lehrer: The economy isn't really bad if you don't overspend on dolls. For the hat or the tote, did President Trump say he was cutting prescription drug prices by 600%, and then later cite numbers like 1,200% and 1,500%, or did I invent that?

Mook: I'm going to go with true.

Brian Lehrer: True is, once again, correct. Listen to this.

President Donald Trump: We've cut drug prices by 1,200%, 1,300%, 1,400%, 1,500%. I don't mean 50%. I mean 1,400%, 1,500%.

[trumpet sound]

Brian Lehrer: Yes, he said it. That's not the worst thing anybody can do. A lot of people don't understand math and percentages. He was saying he cut them by a lot, but Trump repeatedly cited mathematically impossible price cuts in speeches and posts. The reason it's impossible, for those of you who don't know that math yourself, is if you cut anything by 100%, you're at 0. If you're at 1 and you cut it by 100%, you're at 0. If you're at a zillion and you cut it by 100%, you're also at 0. You can't cut something 1,500%, so there was that. Mook, would you like a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or a "You can't defund the truth" tote?

Mook: I would 1,500% prefer a baseball cap, please.

Brian Lehrer: All right, one baseball cap heading to Charlotte. Hang on. We're going to take your mailing address off the air. Thanks a lot for playing. All right. Now, we've come to that point, as we did in the first segment of the show, which was about the mayoral race, where we only have one question left in the set. Josh in Brooklyn, if you get one question right, you get to choose between a hat and a tote. Josh, Happy New Year. Ready to play?

Josh: Happy New Year to you, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Happy New Year to you. Thank you. Did President Trump imply that Rob Reiner's killer was motivated by Reiner's criticism of Trump?

Josh: He 100% did.

Brian Lehrer: He did do that. He posted that, "Reiner passed away together with his wife, Michelle, reportedly due to the anger that he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind-crippling disease known as Trump derangement system." Josh, would you like a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or "You can't defund the truth" WNYC tote?

Josh: I would like the baseball cap, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: One baseball cap heading to Brooklyn. Josh, hang on. We're going to take your mailing address off the air. Listeners, thanks for playing in the, "Did Trump really say this, and did Trump really name this after himself?" round of our end-of-year news quiz. A lot more news quiz to come. Still get two in a row right, or if we're at the end of a set one in a row right, and you can choose between a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or the 2025 WNYC tote that says, "You can't defund the truth." Stay with us.

 

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