Overview

• The profile reports that on June 23, before a joint Late Show interview with Brad Lander, producers proposed a rapid-fire 'thumbs-up or thumbs-down' segment about the Israel–Gaza war.
• Suggested prompts included 'Thumbs-up or thumbs-down: Hamas' and 'Thumbs-up or thumbs-down: a Palestinian state,' according to people in the room.
• Zohran Mamdani said he was in disbelief at the idea and called it an attempt to reduce genocide to a late-night game, while senior adviser Zara Rahim objected in the room.
• The game was scrapped; on air, Stephen Colbert asked whether Israel has a right to exist, which Mamdani affirmed, and the conversation focused on antisemitism and public safety.
• The pitch reportedly followed a letter from Jewish figures, including Elisha Wiesel, pressing for tougher questioning, and CBS declined or did not provide comment as outlets reported the account; Mamdani remains the polling frontrunner in the mayoral race.