‘What’s Wrong With You!?’ Curtis Sliwa Throws DOWN With Radio Colleague Telling Him ‘You’re Going to Lose Badly’
New York City Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa got into a heated debate over the state of his long-shot campaign during a segment that led to him quitting his WABC gig on Wednesday.
Sliwa, who has been off the air while running his campaign, said he was “hurt” by criticisms his colleagues have lobbed at his campaign. Host Sid Rosenberg and station owner John Catsimatidis both argued Sliwa should drop his campaign to give former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo a better shot at beating Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani is leading Cuomo by double digits in most polling, while Sliwa regularly places third in support.
“You will never see me in the studio of WABC ever again,” Sliwa told Rosenberg in an interview where peaceful moments were rare.
Rosenberg took issue with Sliwa’s focus on Cuomo over Mamdani, while Sliwa accused WABC of becoming the “Always Broadcast Cuomo” network.
“This hatred for Cuomo… has enveloped you to the point where I think you’re losing sight of who you’re running against. Cuomo’s not in first. He’s not first. You have to leap-frog Cuomo to beat the guy in first! I go to your page, I gotta go 12 goddamn tweets before I see Mamdani’s name! This obsession with Cuomo has to stop. He’s not winning. You can beat Cuomo and still lose the election. Eight minutes in, you haven’t mentioned Mamdani once. Why?” Rosenberg said.
“I tell you, I’m talking to WABC now. I’m hurt. I have armed security guards now protecting my life and Nancy’s life. I’ve been bribed by the billionaires to drop out of here. If anything happens to me or anything happens to my wife because of this frenzy that I hear constantly coming from some of your colleagues here at WABC, it’s on you guys and you gals,” Sliwa said, adding his “life is on the line.”
Rosenberg grew frustrated as Sliwa continued to focus on Cuomo and his “horrible” campaign.
“Now we’re 10 minutes in and you’re still talking about Cuomo. I mean, what’s wrong with you? You got to beat Mamdani. You got to get over whatever your friends are in Middle Village or Staten Island or Brooklyn, F Cuomo, F Sid, you gotta get over it. You’re gonna lose. And you’re gonna loose badly, embarrassingly,” Rosenberg warned.
Rosenberg then claimed that Sliwa told him privately it was “good advice” for him and Cuomo to form a “coalition,” something Sliwa denied.
“I never said that s**t. Don’t put words in my mouth!” Sliwa said.
“Curtis, you didn’t say good advice to me?” a shocked Rosenberg asked.
“No, let me tell you straight up s**t!” Sliwa shot back. “Right out of The Godfather. Whoever approaches you with a meeting, you know what the story is. They’ve turned on you. WABC has turned on me.”
Rosenberg warned his colleague again that he’s “going to lose badly,” eventually leading to Sliwa declaring he’s done with the station.
Sliwa, Cuomo, and Mamdani are set for their second and final debate before the mayoral election on Wednesday night.
Listen above via 77-WABC.
