Podcast Summary: Bulwark Takes

Episode: Savoring Curtis Sliwa’s Epic Takedown of Andrew Cuomo and Bill Ackman
Date: October 21, 2025
Participants: Host JVL, Andrew Egger, and intermittent clips featuring Curtis Sliwa

Overview

This episode dives into the dramatic moments of the New York City mayoral race, focusing on Curtis Sliwa's incendiary public dismantling of both Andrew Cuomo and billionaire Bill Ackman. The Bulwark crew, particularly JVL and Andrew Egger, revel in the sheer entertainment and political audacity of Sliwa’s take-no-prisoners approach. Throughout, the hosts analyze why this moment resonated, what it says about the current dynamics of New York and national politics, and reflect on Cuomo’s bizarre political maneuvers post-primary defeat.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Viral Sliwa Clip: Context and Takeaways

Timestamps: 01:11 – 04:27

• Setup: The main focus is a recent exchange where Curtis Sliwa, perennial New York candidate and Guardian Angels founder, repudiates suggestions that his continued candidacy could split the anti-Mamdani vote, potentially handing victory to the progressive candidate Mamdani.
• Bill Ackman's Role: Venture capitalist Bill Ackman, representing “the billionaires” and the moderate/Wall Street faction, pushes the line that Sliwa should drop out to avoid “spoiling” for Cuomo.
• Sliwa’s Response: Sliwa unleashes blistering criticism, labeling Ackman irrelevant to city politics, mockingly referencing Ackman’s tennis misadventures, and attacking Cuomo as both electorally failed and morally compromised.

Notable Quote:

• Curtis Sliwa (to Bill Ackman):
  “Ackman is a jerk. Has he been right yet? … Stay in your lane. Does he know anything about politics?” [02:40]
• On Cuomo:
  “He killed all these elderly. He’s a sexual harassment [perpetrator]. He told conservatives and Republicans in 2014, if you believe in right to life and the second amendment, you have no place in New York. You need to leave. This is the result of Democrat self-destruction.” [03:24]

2. Hosts’ Reaction: “Strange New Respect” for Sliwa

Timestamps: 04:27 – 09:07

• Egger Confesses: Andrew Egger, never a Sliwa fan, admits a newfound appreciation for Sliwa’s candor and rhetorical flair:
  “That was, I think, the single best performance I’ve seen by any politician this cycle.” [04:27]
• Unique Attack: The hosts marvel at Sliwa’s ability to mix policy, personal gripes, and ridiculous jabs (e.g., Ackman’s tennis) into a compelling “takedown.”
• Sliwa’s Persona: Egger and the team agree Sliwa embodies a sort of Tom Wolfe/Bernie Goetz New York figure—blunt, vigilantist, “quintessentially New York” and “quintessentially Trumpian, but not MAGA.”

Notable Quote:

• Andrew Egger:
  “For him to go after Cuomo, pointing out the inconvenience… when this guy was governor, he killed a lot of old people.” [06:13]
• Andrew Cuomo (Bulwark staffer, not the ex-gov):
  “As far as the New York mayoral race goes, I really am a single-issue voter. That issue is who is going to just nuke Bill Ackman. Best from orbit.” [04:50]

3. Curtis Sliwa’s Political DNA

Timestamps: 06:33 – 08:57

• Perennial Outsider: The hosts discuss how Sliwa has always been an oddball perennial candidate, but one who pre-dates Trump and the current “MAGAfication” of GOP politics.
• Not a Standard Republican: Sliwa doesn’t conform to Republican consultant orthodoxy or the MAGA influencer style, which makes his attacks on centrists and progressives both unpredictable and entertaining.
• Bizarre Dynamics: The episode notes the current paradox—right-wingers hoping Cuomo can “save” NYC, even after his fall from grace.

Notable Quote:

• Andrew Cuomo (staffer):
  “He so predates the Trump era… he has not gotten the memo that you’re supposed to just fall in line with whatever the GOP consultant class take is.” [07:45]

4. The Andrew Cuomo Enigma

Timestamps: 09:16 – 12:16

• Cuomo’s Motivation: Discussion on Andrew Cuomo’s unusual post-primary maneuvering: dropping out, then “threatening” to run again, posturing as a bulwark (pun intended) against both progressives and Trump’s threats against NYC.
• Rationalizing Trump: The panel muses on Cuomo’s willingness to reframe Trump’s bullying of blue cities as something to strategize around, showing a transactional politics with little ideological anchor.
• Long-term Speculation: Is Cuomo angling for a Trump cabinet gig in 2027 or beyond? The hosts aren’t sure, but agree he’s “chasing the high” of his COVID-fighter national prominence.

Notable Quotes:

• Andrew Egger:
  “What is the point of being back in [the mayoral race]? Your career in electoral politics is over, I think.” [09:38]
• Andrew Cuomo:
  “Maybe the Trump cabinet of 2031 could happen.” [12:20]
• On Trump’s Vengeance Politics:
  “It’s a totally normal thing for President United States to do—to threaten citizens by saying he will come after their municipality if they do not elect the people he likes.” [11:00]

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Sliwa’s Performance:
  “First of all, Bill Ackman is a jerk.” [07:00]
• Egger’s Journalism Joke:
  “When Bill Ackman’s getting roasted by Curtis Sliwa… we have a phrase for this in journalism, Andrew. Strange new respect.” [08:59]
• On Sliwa’s Character:
  “Sliwa is like a Tom Wolfe character come to life… a quintessentially New York kind of figure… more vigilantism than law-and-order.” [08:21]

Key Timestamps

• 01:11: Play-by-play setup of the Sliwa video clip
• 02:40: Sliwa launches into his broadside against Ackman and Cuomo
• 03:24: Sliwa lambastes Cuomo’s record and Democratic self-destruction
• 04:27: Egger and JVL react with newfound respect for Sliwa
• 06:33: Analysis of Sliwa’s outsider status and non-MAGA conservatism
• 09:16: The team digs into Cuomo’s motivations and career arc
• 11:00: Irony of Trump threatening cities that don’t elect his preferred candidates
• 12:20: Joking about Cuomo’s future political prospects

Tone and Language

The episode is animated, irreverent, and steeped in insider politics and journalistic banter. The hosts oscillate between laughter and exasperation as they dissect the absurdities of New York and national figures alike, invoking pop culture, political history, and plenty of sarcasm.

Conclusion

This Bulwark Takes episode spotlights one of the most entertaining political moments of the cycle through the lens of sharp, seasoned observers. While underlying themes of collapse and cynicism in politics run throughout, the humor, candor, and “strange new respect” for unlikely figures keep the conversation lively. Whether or not you follow New York mayoral politics, this episode offers a snapshot of the current political climate—a blend of “vibes over ideology,” public feuds, and shifting loyalties.