Savoring Curtis Sliwa’s Epic Takedown of Andrew Cuomo and Bill Ackman

Summary

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

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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.

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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

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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.

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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.

Transcript

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[Curtis Sliwa]

What do we do with you?

[Andrew Cuomo]

You can't go in the recycling bin, but you can be recycled if taken to a new recycle on center. Find one near [e-mail] oregoncenters hey there.

[Andrew Egger]

It's JVL here with my bulwark colleague Andrew Egger, and we had something wild happen over the weekend in the New York mayoral case. I regret to inform you, Andrew, that we had a fatality. A1, 8 7, call the police because Curtis Sliwa absolutely annihilated Andrew Cuomo. Guys, we got to go to the videotape on this. We are going to look at Nate Friedman as he sits down with Curtis Sliwa and he tries to tell Sliwa, oh, my gosh. What? What if you wind up getting mum Donnie elected?

[Curtis Sliwa]

What?

[Andrew Egger]

Shouldn't you drop out so that Andrew Cuomo can win? Bill Ackman says you should. And what happened next is absolute gold.

[Nate Friedman]

You've made it very clear, of course, that Mamdani would not be good for New York City. And, you know, as a New Yorker and someone who's just, you know, I'm online all the time and I see what people are saying. I'm sure you come across this. Bill Ackman, for example. Ooh, Bill Ackman said that, you know, a vote for Curtis Lewis, a vote for Mamdani. I'm not going to ask you, are you going to drop out? Because I know the answer is no. And I know you're probably tired of hearing that. However, I think it is clear to New Yorkers who are against Mamdani that you and Cuomo are splitting the anti Mamdani vote. So my question is simple. Are you okay if Mamdani wins that you, so to speak, contributed to that?

[Curtis Sliwa]

Well, number one, Ackman is a jerk. Has he been right yet? Here's a guy who goes up to Newport, Rhode island and thinks he's a professional tennis player. Come on, Ackman, stay in your lane. Does he know anything about politics?

[Andrew Cuomo]

No.

[Curtis Sliwa]

Does he live in New York City? No. He lives in Chappa, the whitest suburb of America where even the lawn jockeys are white. He may know Wall street, he may know hedge funds. He has been wrong every step of the way with the billionaires. So let's say people come to the conclusion if someone somehow I lose somehow. And we know Andrew Cuomo's lost, he's already tossed into town. Oh, it's because of you, Curtis. Because really, it's because of the Democrats. Wait a second. Who created Zohan Mondami? Who embraced him? Who nourished him? Who supported him? And how dare you, people who know nothing about politics suggest that everybody who's going to vote for me is suddenly going to be reborn. We love Andrew Cuomo. He killed all these elderly. He's a sexual harassment. He told conservatives and Republicans in 2014, if you're conservative and 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 the Democrats self destruction. So I'm supposed to help them? How come they don't help themselves? Andrew Cuomo failed everybody in that primary. He even admitted it. Now he's basically saying, I can't win without Slewa votes. Where are your votes? Why don't you spend your money? And they got millions from the billionaires. Millions go out, get your own votes, convert SLIWA voters. But for me to drop out.

[Andrew Egger]

Andrew, I'm gonna level level with you. I've never been a Curtis Lewa fan before. Now I get it. That was, I think, the single best performance I've seen by any politician this cycle. I understand it's an off year, so aren't a ton of races, but what do you think?

[Andrew Cuomo]

I don't know. Look, you guys have been covering all this New York mayoral stuff quite a bit. I have not, you know, reported on the race. I've been. I live in Virginia. You know, I'm not. I'm not like you up there in New York City. But I don't know, watching that clip, I discovered something about myself. And it is that as far as The New York mayoral race goes. I really am a single issue voter. I would be if I lived there. And that issue is who is going to just nuke Bill Ackman. Best from orbit. Man, that was just really good. That was really good. From top to bottom. I don't know. What do you want to do? Where should we start? With old courtesy.

[Andrew Egger]

You know, what I love so much about this is that Sliwa goes after Amman. But. And he goes after Amman on all of the things. On like the corruption with the billionaire stuff, on how stupid he is about politics, on tennis.

[Curtis Sliwa]

Come on, Amman, stay in your lane.

[Andrew Egger]

The Bill Ackman test. So that's a deep cut. You have to really hate Bill Amman to have followed his aborted professional tennis career.

[Andrew Cuomo]

There was one for the real Amman heads out there. Yeah.

[Andrew Egger]

Which is something I have done. He got a little stage fright. He got a little stage fright. His. His nerves. He had butterflies in his tummy. Ben. Tummy flies. And. And then for him to go after Cuomo, pointing out the inconvenience. Like, when this guy was governor, he killed a lot of old people.

[Curtis Sliwa]

We love Andrew Cuomo. He killed all these elderly.

[Andrew Egger]

I mean, he doesn't. He doesn't attack Cuomo for any. He just asked Cuomo for like the most straightforward thing, which is like, dude, you were governor during the pandemic and you made nursing homes into abattoirs. I mean, that's. Holy shit.

[Andrew Cuomo]

I have only ever kind of like tangentially followed him. And my kind of impression of him was that he was just one of these sort of strange figures that sort of hang around perennial candidate type guys who are always kind of running. And I always feel like these guys, they tend to have a few things in common. And one of the things that they have in common is like just a sort of strangeness to them that like, they don't translate necessarily super well to sort of like digital stuff. And when he like, leaned across the table to. To like, look straight into the camera and be like, first of all, Bill Ackman is a jerk.

[Curtis Sliwa]

Well, number one, Ackman is a jerk.

[Andrew Cuomo]

I was like, whoa, okay. I didn't know you had this speed, Curtis. And then my admiration continued to grow throughout the course of the clip. I will say one other thing about him, and I think it's. There's this weird thing now where like the fact that he is sort of like an older school Republican guy, he's like been around New York City for like a long time, right? He's like kind of been A fixture. And obviously, you know, Republicans aren't winning races in New York City, so he has never had the opportunity to, like, you know, do the Rudy Giuliani thing, which is kind of the kind of guy he wants to be. Is like, a law and order mayor in New York City. But, like, the fact that he has been around, like, he's. He so predates the Trump era. He has not gotten the memo that you're supposed to just sort of, like, fall in line with whatever kind of like the. The GOP consultant class take is on anything. And, like, one of the weird things about the current moment is, like, the GOP consultant class take and the MAGA take tend to be the same thing. Like, you have, like, a lot of MAGA influencers out there who are just, like, doing MAGA versions of the GOP consultants now. Like, here. Yeah. And so, like. And so here, he's kind of, like, it really highlights that. Right? Because, like, it's crazy that there is sort of, like, MAGA people out there who are like, you know, who we should really vote for, you know, who's, like, our last best hope for New York City is Andrew. Andrew Cuomo.

[Andrew Egger]

Andrew Cuomo.

[Andrew Cuomo]

It's just an amazing thing all around. So I appreciated the clip.

[Andrew Egger]

Yeah. He so got to understand Curtis Lewa is like a Tom Wolf character come to life. Mean, for all I know, he is a Tom Wolf character, and he pops up somewhere in Bonfire of the Vanities the way like Chris Hitchens does, and he's, you know, he's a quintessentially New York kind of figure. He's a quintessentially Trump kind of figure in that, you know, he. He's not even so much law and order as much as vigilantism. Like, he wants Bernie Getz New York. You know, again, never thought much of the guy, but at least he says what's on his mind. And I thought that was.

[Curtis Sliwa]

Oof.

[Andrew Egger]

When Bill Ackman's getting roasted by Curtis Lewa. You know, we have a phrase for this in journalism, Andrew. Strange new respect.

[Andrew Cuomo]

Yes, yes, I can feel that. I feel the strange new respect. You can totally see where he's coming from, too. I mean, like, where does Andrew Cuomo get off? He's running as an independent in the race, you know.

[Andrew Egger]

Yeah.

[Andrew Cuomo]

Sliwa won a primary. Mamdani won a primary against Andrew Cuomo. People might remember. And so it's like. I mean, the idea that, like, everybody just needs to, like, well, you know, Curtis Sliwa, he fought a good race. But. But now it's time to face the music.

[Andrew Egger]

I can ask you one thing. Why do you think Cuomo is doing this? After he lost to Mumdani? He did. He dropped out.

[Andrew Cuomo]

Right.

[Andrew Egger]

And at first he teased with the, you know, I don't know what I'm gonna do. Right. Because he had said the whole campaign that he would be running in November no matter what. And then he lost, and then he dropped out. And then he came back in. Like, if you're Andrew Cuomo, what is the point of being back in? Like, I don't fully understand it because your career in electoral politics is over, I think. I just don't see how there's a. Another act for him. And so the only thing I can think of is, like, he comes back in to reposition himself on the side of maga, but he's tried not to do that, too. Like, he's done a weird. Instead of just embracing the Trump stuff, he's done a lot of like, well, you gotta elect me, otherwise Trump is gonna really just drop the hammer on New York City. And if I'm. If I'm the mayor, you know, like, he won't. He won't come in like a Kaiju.

[Commercial Narrator]

Yeah.

[Andrew Cuomo]

But even that is, like, weirdly like maga. It's like a bank shot, like, MAGA sympathetic thing. Because he's like, donald Trump is not gonna, like, single me out for destruction. Like, he will single out. So Ron, if he's elected, which Trump has promised to do. Right. I mean, Trump has basically said he's going to put Zoran straight at the top of his list of Democrats to punish, you know, if and when he's elected mayor and go after, you know, more federal contracts to New York City.

[Andrew Egger]

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.

[Andrew Cuomo]

Yeah, yeah. And also possibly be wrong with that. And a totally normal thing for just like, sort of soulless machine politician guys like Andrew Cuomo to just sort of like, take that under consideration. Like, these are. This is just the facts on the ground now. You got to do real politic about the fact of who's in the Oval Office. And, you know, maybe. Maybe you might be tempted to see that enemy of my enemy thing and feel some solidarity towards Zoran. But wouldn't it actually be nicer if Donald Trump had no cause to go after New York, which also, like, I mean, just, again, we're just like, so far through the looking Glass and all this stuff. Cuomo was a main Trump like foil and villain during COVID You know, like back, back the one time the sort of national Democratic Party had its weird brief flirtation with Andrew Cuomo, national political figure. I don't know, like maybe, maybe he's still just chasing the high of that. He's like, ah, you know, we had it right then during COVID and it all kind of fell apart after that with the nursing homes and the sexual harassment scandals and things like that. But I, it's just, we're just one turn of the screw away from, from getting back in there, from being back on top. And I feel like a lot of politicians that's as deeply as they think about this sort of thing. You know what I mean?

[Andrew Egger]

Does Andrew Cuomo wind up in the Trump cabinet in 2027?

[Andrew Cuomo]

Maybe the Trump cabinet of 2031 could happen.

[Andrew Egger]

Let's leave it there. We'll have more, more awesomeness. Good luck, America.

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