Pivot – Episode Summary

Podcast: Pivot (New York Magazine)
Hosts: Kara Swisher & Scott Galloway
Date: November 12, 2025
Episode: Shutdown Ending, Trump’s Pardons, and Guest Curtis Sliwa
Special Guest: Curtis Sliwa (Founder of the Guardian Angels, Radio Host, former NYC Mayoral Candidate)
Recording: Live at King’s Theater, Brooklyn

Episode Overview

This episode, recorded live in Brooklyn with a vibrant audience, is a wide-ranging, sharp, and characteristically candid conversation about power, politics, animals, masculinity, New York City’s future, American democracy’s current struggles, Trump’s latest batch of pardons, AI anxieties, and much more. The show features a rich interview with Curtis Sliwa, offers trenchant commentary on current U.S. political crises, and highlights the hosts’ unique blend of humor, brutal honesty, and affection for New York.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Curtis Sliwa Interview (00:36–24:25)

Money, Power, and Personal Principles

• Curtis Sliwa recounts immense pressure—including alleged $10 million bribe offers from billionaires—for him to drop out of the NYC mayoral race.
  • “I said, any more attempts to bribe me out of the race, I’ll be wired up like a Christmas tree. And the DA, Alvin Bragg, will be listening to your conversations. That ended all the conversation.” (03:06, Curtis)
  • On not succumbing: “I came into this world with nothing. I leave with nothing. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We need selfless servants, not self serving servants. This is what people deserve.” (04:42, Curtis)
• Reflections on campaign threats and armed security after rebuffing the offers.
  • “If they can’t bribe you, they’ll try to kill you … Threatened her [my wife], threatened me. For the first time, we had to have armed security…” (03:37, Curtis)

On Masculinity, Cats, and Purpose

• Discussion about being a male “cat person” and societal expectations.
  • “People think if you’re a man with cats, you’ve gone soft … what’s wrong with being a cat person? I love cats. You got a problem with that?” (05:42, Curtis)
• Advocacy for animal welfare:
  • “If I’d been elected … I would have filled up every nook, corner and cranny of Gracie Mansion with every animal we could rescue … I believe in no kill shelters.” (07:27, Curtis)
• Guardian Angels, purpose & masculinity:
  • On young men: “Being a man means you don’t have a weapon … A real man should be protecting the poor, the infirm, the elderly, the children. People who can’t defend themselves. … It was the humanitarian thing to do for people they didn’t even know.” (09:36–11:13, Curtis)

NYC Politics, Populism, and Building a Coalition

• Sliwa’s Republican label and his real base:
  • “They don’t treat me like a Republican. I’m more of a populist. I represent working class people, especially in the outer boroughs. … I was proudest to run on the first ever independent line created by my wife: Protect Animals.” (11:41, Curtis)
  • On his upbringing: “Always question authority. Never accept what they say. And free speech is the answer to hate speech. More free speech.” (13:32, Curtis)
• Reaction to billionaire influence in NYC elections:
  • Candid opinions about billionaires threatening to leave NYC, and their “back channel” politics.
  • “You know what we have in Italian for that? Ugats. Oh, God. Bupkis.” (17:44, Curtis)

On Crime, the NYPD, and Policing Reform

• Personal history of conflict with the NYPD; critique and nuance on police reform:
  • “I got arrested 81 times when I formed the Guardian Angels … But I also know the police department is different now … It’s a minority, majority police department now.” (18:49, Curtis)
  • Critique of removing civil immunity: “You need a responsive police department ... stop and frisk was totally excessive.” (18:49–21:02, Curtis)
  • Stance on mask-wearing for police and protestors: “Take the masks away. I say let’s take all the masks away. You have a right to demonstrate. You have a right to be a law enforcement official. You should be identified.” (22:00, Curtis)
• On Andrew Cuomo:
  • “That snake will slither back under his rock in the Hamptons … he was slapping fannies and killing grannies and he should never see the light of day.” (22:34, Curtis)

2. Government Shutdown & Congressional Political Drama (25:32–34:34)

• Analysis of the government shutdown deal and Democratic strategy (or lack thereof):
  • Scott: “Sometimes it’s darkest before it’s pitch black. This is fucking pitch black … We have done nothing but put the American people through 40 days of real trauma for Dick. Literally nothing.” (26:24, Scott)
  • Kara relays different strategic theories, including whether Democrats engineered a “trap” for Republicans with the timing and promises attached to the shutdown deal. (28:14, Kara)
  • Scott emphasizes the ongoing “preference for strong and wrong versus weak and right,” referencing Bill Clinton. (30:05, Scott)
  • Both hosts express exasperation at what they see as Democratic cowardice and missed opportunity.
  • “Stop the gymnastics. This was a huge failure on our part. AOC, I will give you $100,000 in the next 48 hours if you announce your primary. Schumer, enough already.” (31:57, Scott)

3. Trump’s Pardons & Justice System Corruption (34:34–37:23)

• Kara breaks the news of Trump granting preemptive and controversial pardons, including Rudy Giuliani.
  • “If they let out Ghislaine Maxwell, I don’t—me and Curtis are going down to Texas, man. That’s all I have to say. She’s a monster.” (37:23, Kara)
• Scott contextualizes the corruption and the tragedy of resources being reallocated from deserving clemency cases to “an orgy of corruption.”
  • “What bothers me more is it’s distracting attention and resources from the tens of thousands of people who he’s not letting out who are worthy of a real thoughtful examination around clemency.” (35:32, Scott)

4. Panel Segment: Did Women Ruin the Workplace? (38:55–46:56)

• Discussion of The New York Times' controversial opinion piece headline.
  • Kara lambasts the op-ed: “As a piece of content … they just cannot stop talking about woke. They were as reductive as it gets … As a woman, you face all kinds of fucking nonsense every day of the week.” (39:47–43:02, Kara)
  • Scott shares his own observations on workplace diversity: “The companies I’ve started … 27 of the 35 people who’ve become millionaires … were either LGBTQ or women. … It wasn’t intentional, it was about giving flexibility and opportunity.” (40:26, Scott)
  • On equality: “Equality of opportunity does not always equal equality of outcomes.” (41:43, Scott)
  • Insightful observations about marriage stress, childcare, and men’s mental health: “The best thing we could do for young men right now would be universal childcare.” (42:16, Scott)
  • Mutual pushback against “binary” framing of gender workplace issues.
    • “To set it up as this woman-man thing to me is like, wildly offensive … It doesn't make a better workplace.” (44:43, Kara)
  • Scott: “The greatest alliance in history is the alliance between men and women, and I would argue specifically liberal men and liberal women. But we keep couching it as though men are against this and women are for it … That’s just not true.” (45:53, Scott)

5. LGBTQ Rights & Same-Sex Marriage (46:56–48:52)

• Supreme Court refuses Kim Davis petition—affirming marriage equality.
  • Kara: “In the coverage of the media, it’s not gay marriage, it’s marriage. So like let’s just… it’s the law of the land.” (46:56, Kara)
• Personal anecdotes about family, divorce, and marriage—touching, funny banter.

6. On Role Models, Masculinity, and Mentoring Young Men (49:17–54:02)

• Scott on male mentorship:
  • “The single point of failure for when a boy comes off the tracks is when he loses a male role model.” (49:36, Scott)
  • Strong call to action: “If we want better men, we need to be better men. Apply to be a big brother.” (51:47, Scott)
• Kara on role models:
  • Names her sons, brothers, nephew, and Scott himself as role models for masculinity (52:10–52:42).
  • Warm exchange acknowledging Scott’s positive influence on Kara’s kids.
• Reflections on masculinity/femininity as cultural codes, not biology:
  • Scott: “These are wonderful attributes—masculinity and femininity—that can be adopted, are not sequestered to anyone born as male or female. … There’s no such thing as toxic masculinity. There’s cruelty, there’s criminal behavior, and there’s abuse.” (52:42–54:02)

7. Audience Q&A Highlights (55:31–69:53)

• Best Marriage Advice:
  • Kara: “Kindness … Active listening.”
  • Scott: “Put away the scorecard. Decide what kind of husband you want to be and live to that … Always express sexual desire and affection … Never let a woman be cold or hungry. Pashminas and power bars at all times.” (57:23–58:35, Scott)
• Parenting Questions:
  • Kara: “I try to make them feel like the choices they’re making are good choices. And I support them. I don’t run them down. I don’t tell them they’re stupid.” (60:09, Kara)
  • Scott’s regrets about not having a daughter, economic anxiety around parenting in NYC, and declining birthrates among young people due to economic pressures. (61:19–63:18, Scott)
• On AI: Threats and Opportunities
  • Kara (relaying Geoff Hinton): “We’ve got to build an AI that has a maternal sense … We have to train the AI to think of us as the baby and they will do anything to take care of us.” (64:06–67:06)
  • Scott: “Every technology in history has ultimately created growth in the economy and more jobs than it’s destroyed. … The biggest fear I have about AI is loneliness … Loneliness and sequestering young people from society is our biggest risk of AI.” (67:06–69:53)

Notable Quotes

• Curtis Sliwa

  • “If you can’t bribe them, they’ll try to kill them. Oh well, that’s been tried before by the goddessing Gambinos.” (03:37)
  • “Came into this world with nothing. I leave with nothing. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We need selfless servants.” (04:42)
  • “A real man doesn’t need a gun. A real man should be protecting … those who can’t defend themselves.” (09:36)
  • “The only thing different between politics and organized crime, which I battled in my life, is at the end of the day, you don’t have dead bodies. Other than that, it’s the same.” (15:14)

• Scott Galloway

  • “Sometimes it’s darkest before it’s pitch black. This is fucking pitch black.” (26:24)
  • “Stop the gymnastics. This was a huge failure on our part. AOC, I will give you $100,000 in the next 48 hours if you announce your primary. Schumer, enough already.” (31:57)
  • “The best thing we could do for young men right now would be universal childcare.” (42:16)
  • “If we want better men, we need to be better men.” (51:47)
  • “Every technology in history has ultimately created growth in the economy and more jobs than it’s destroyed … [but] loneliness and sequestering young people from society is our biggest risk of AI.” (67:06–69:53)

• Kara Swisher

  • “To set it up as this woman man thing to me is like, wildly offensive … It doesn’t make a better workplace.” (44:43)
  • “I try to make them feel like the choices they’re making are good choices. And I support them. I don’t run them down. I don’t tell them they’re stupid.” (60:09)
  • “Me and Curtis are going down to Texas, man. That’s all I have to say. She’s a monster. [About Ghislaine Maxwell]” (37:23)

Memorable Moments

• Curtis Sliwa’s old school populism and open disdain for billionaire political meddling.
• Sliwa describing how attempts at bribery turned to threats, and how he and his wife stood firm.
• Honest and funny panel banter about pets, gender, parenting, sexuality, and more.
• Scott’s palpable anger at Democratic strategy around the shutdown and his rallying cry for primarying Chuck Schumer.
• Joint audience Q&A blending comedy, hard truths, and genuine warmth.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Curtis Sliwa interview: 00:36–24:25
• Government shutdown analysis: 25:32–34:34
• Trump pardons discussion: 34:34–37:23
• Workplace gender op-ed debate: 38:55–46:56
• LGBTQ rights & Marriage Equality: 46:56–48:52
• Masculinity, mentorship & family: 49:17–54:02
• Audience Q&A (highlights): 55:31–69:53
• AI segment: 63:39–69:53

Final Thoughts

This live Pivot episode is a potent, timely, and entertaining look at politics, masculinity, NYC life, and the anxiety-laced future of tech, featuring incisive takes, biting humor, and the ever-present determination to call out power and nonsense where they see it. For lovers of New York and clear-eyed critique, it’s a must-listen.