In a recent radio interview, Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate for mayor in New York City, became emotional when told he was “going to lose big.”
During the discussion on the 77th WABC episode, radio host Sid Rosenberg criticized Sliwa for concentrating too heavily on his rival, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, instead of focusing on Zoran Mamdani, the Socialist Party contender.
“For the last eight minutes, all we’ve discussed is Cuomo,” Rosenberg remarked. “I get that you dislike him, but I don’t feel like you’re addressing Mamdani at all. Honestly, I don’t.”
Rosenberg further emphasized that Sliwa’s preoccupation with Cuomo seemed to distract him from the actual contest, indicating that he needed to “get past Cuomo” to have any real chance.
“When I check your social media, I have to scroll through multiple tweets before I finally see Mamdani’s name,” he noted. “This fixation on Cuomo has to stop. Even if you somehow win against him, you won’t win the actual election. Still nothing on Mamdani after all this time. Why?”
Responding to Rosenberg, Sliwa expressed his concerns, “I’m talking to WABC while feeling injured. I’ve got armed guards protecting my and my wife’s safety. Recently, I was offered a bribe from a billionaire to be removed from this situation. If anything happens to us because of this situation—something I keep hearing from some at WABC—it’s your responsibility.”
As the back-and-forth continued, Rosenberg pointed out that even ten minutes into the conversation, Sliwa remained focused on Cuomo, not addressing his actual opponent, Mamdani.
“We’re still on Cuomo after ten minutes,” Rosenberg said. “What’s going on? We need to tackle Mamdani directly. You can’t get sidetracked by personal issues. You’re on track to lose, and lose badly.”
Rosenberg added that Sliwa had previously given him “solid advice” regarding collaborating with Cuomo, which Sliwa denied, cautioning Rosenberg against misrepresenting his words.
“Please don’t put words in my mouth,” Sliwa insisted.
As reported by a media outlet, Sliwa declared he would “never” return to the WABC studios, regardless of the election’s outcome.
Additionally, radio station owner John Catsimatidis mentioned he had “never asked” Sliwa to pull out of the mayoral race but acknowledged that others had suggested it, encouraging him to consider the option.
In related polling data from Patriot Poll, Mamdani is seen to have a significant lead among New York City’s foreign-born voters, drawing 62% support compared to Cuomo’s 24% and Sliwa’s 12%. Among American-born voters, the support rates are 40% for Cuomo, 31% for Mamdani, and 25% for Sliwa.
