Robert Spencer on Zohran Mamdani, Political Islam, Immigration & the West Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch and author of more than 30 books, joins A.J. Rice on Dangerous Laughter for an Election Day conversation about political Islam, immigration, New York City, Europe and the cultural debates shaping Western democracies. Spencer discusses New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose rise he criticized in his 2025 book Intifada on the Hudson: The Selling of Zohran Mamdani. He explains why he believes Mamdani’s election has implications beyond New York and connects the mayor’s political rise to his broader arguments about Islamism and Western political institutions. Topics include: • Robert Spencer• Jihad Watch• Zohran Mamdani• New York City politics• Intifada on the Hudson• Ilhan Omar• Political Islam• Islamism• Jihad• France• Immigration and migration• European politics• Religious freedom• Integration• Western civilization• Islamic history• The Qur’an• Political loyalty• Spencer’s concept of “stealth jihad”• Political satire• Authoritarianism• Election Day 2026• American politics Spencer also recounts his family history, including displacement from the Ottoman Empire during World War I, and discusses how his studies ultimately led to his work on Islam, jihad and political ideology. The conversation examines the arguments behind several of his books, including: The Tragedy of Islam: Failure and Excuses Spencer’s critique of Islamic societies and the explanations Western institutions offer for their political and economic difficulties. Intifada on the Hudson: The Selling of Zohran Mamdani His critical examination of Mamdani’s rise in New York City politics. Islam Unveiled An earlier work that helped establish Spencer’s public career writing about Islamic theology and politics. THE BIGGER QUESTION The episode ultimately confronts a tension at the heart of liberal democracy: How can governments challenge violent or anti-democratic ideologies while protecting the religious liberty of peaceful Muslim citizens? Spencer and Rice debate where that distinction should be drawn and what Western governments should learn from political and demographic developments in Europe. Subscribe to Dangerous Laughter with A.J. Rice for conversations about politics, history, religion, immigration, media, culture, free speech and perfectly timed derision. ROBERT SPENCER Jihad Watch:https://jihadwatch.org/ DANGEROUS LAUGHTER Website:https://dangerouslaughter.com/ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@UCTW30Wq7tiEbDXeo995xgbw X:https://x.com/DangerousLaughs Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dangerouslaughtershow Chapters (00:00:01) - Cold Open and Intro(00:01:36) - Welcoming Robert Spencer, Election Day Special(00:02:49) - Robert Spencer's Origin Story(00:06:07) - Family History: Greek Orthodox Roots in the Ottoman Empire(00:08:31) - How Islam Spread: Conquest, Not Conversion(00:11:15) - Europe's Oil-for-Migration Deal and Dhimmitude(00:13:06) - France Riots and the Islamic Ummah(00:15:56) - Break: The Curse of the Bearded Lady Promo(00:18:39) - Back from Break: Trans Mafia Bit Continued(00:19:46) - French