Podcast Summary: The Rob Carson Show

Episode: Curtis Sliwa Fights Back! Inside New York’s Mayoral Election Showdown

Date: October 21, 2025
Host: Rob Carson (Newsmax Podcasts)
Guests: Curtis Sliwa, Ned Ryan, Nicole Malliotakis, James Rosen

Episode Overview

This episode of The Rob Carson Show dives into the high-stakes New York City mayoral election, focusing on Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa's insurgent campaign against rivals Zoran Mondami (the progressive, branded as a “communist”) and Andrew Cuomo (the former governor turned independent). The episode combines political commentary and comic flair, featuring first-person insights from Sliwa, broader discussion with political analysts and politicians, and segments exploring current national issues like crime, urban decay, and the strategic calculations of both parties regarding America's cities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NYC Mayoral Race: The Curtis Sliwa Perspective

• Poll and Demographic Analysis

  • Carson ridicules the current polling, highlighting a general tone of exasperation at New York's choices:
    • Mondami leads with strong support among women and foreign-born voters.
    • Sliwa polls disproportionately among men, especially in Staten Island.
    • Cuomo draws most support from Catholic and Jewish voters.
    • Carson sarcastically calls the ballot “a communist, a crap sandwich, or a terrible governor.”
  • “What a glorious crap sandwich. Wow. Does it come with chips and a drink? Well, of course not. You'd have to pay extra for that.” – Rob Carson (04:32)

• Curtis Sliwa Fights Back

  • Sliwa dismisses polls and calls for faith in the people's decision-making:

    “Did Rudy Giuliani win? … Did a guy, George Pataki that nobody knew beat the better Cuomo? … I’m supposed to have faith in polls that have been wrong every step of the way and billionaires who should focus on Wall Street… I’m the candidate, whether people like it or not. … Is that democracy, Rob?” – Curtis Sliwa (05:44 – 06:31)

  • Sliwa asserts his legitimacy as the only Republican in the race, painting Cuomo as a key architect of failed law-and-order policies:

    “I am the Republican candidate. … And I am the law and order candidate, of which Andrew Cuomo is the architect—but what is the apprentice to no cash, bail, raise the age, burn criminals loose from Rikers Island…” – Curtis Sliwa (06:59 – 07:32)

• Carson on the GOP’s Dilemma

  • Carson scorns the idea of Sliwa dropping out due to polling, challenging the wisdom of “vote for the less-bad option.”

    “You don't just drop out of the race as the major party candidate because the polls say you're going to lose, especially when you're dropping out for an independent and a communist.” – Rob Carson (07:32)

2. Criticism of Zoran Mondami: Radicalism & Inexperience

• Nicole Malliotakis Warns New Yorkers

  • Rep. Malliotakis warns that Mondami has radical ties:

    “Show me who your friends are, I'll tell you who you are. Zoran Mondami has palled around with socialists, with communists… This is a communist sympathizer, he's a terrorist sympathizer.” – Nicole Malliotakis (07:58 – 08:42)

  • She attacks his inexperience and background:

    “He is only 34 years old. He's only been in this city as a citizen for seven years. He does not have the experience, he does not have the knowledge to be mayor of the largest city in the nation.” – Nicole Malliotakis (08:42 – 09:09)

  • Argues voters with roots fleeing communism will recognize the threat:

    “I think millions of immigrants that have fled socialism and communism like my mother, will be the difference in this election.” – Nicole Malliotakis (09:43)

• Rob Carson’s Scathing Take

  • Carson caricatures Mondami as a radical academic lacking real-world grounding:

    “A 16-year-old who spent a summer working at Orange Julius has more work experience than this Jack Weed, who has nothing more than academic credential and radical leanings.” – Rob Carson (09:09)

3. Urban Decay & National Trends: Crime, Antifa, and Political Stakes

• Crime in Blue Cities

  • Carson and his guests discuss urban disorder in cities like Portland and Chicago, blaming progressive governance for crime spikes, business closures, and unsafe streets. They tie these issues into a broader conservative critique of leftist politics.

  • Portland Bar Owner Testimonial

    “Every single weekend, our staff is terrified. We've endured break ins, vandalism, we’ve been held up by gunpoint.” – Portland Bar Owner (via Rob Carson) (14:05 – 14:44)

• Federal Intervention & Trump’s Role

  • Carson celebrates Trump’s use of the National Guard in places like Portland and D.C. to restore order.

    “Now, Washington, D.C., because Donald Trump brought in the National Guards, working with local authorities to end this bullcrap.” – Rob Carson (14:44)

4. Democrat “Power Model” in Cities (with Ned Ryan)

• Ned Ryan offers a broader analysis of why Democrats, in his view, oppose conservatism’s “law and order” pitch:

  “They want the chaos, they want the death, they want the destruction because it allows them to consolidate power. … New York is Republican, other than New York City.” – Ned Ryan (18:11 – 18:46)

  • Asserts cities are Democratic power bases; if Republicans break through with urban voters, statewide politics shift dramatically.

    “If somehow Trump comes in and ruins their business model of keeping crime and illiteracy and illegal immigration, all these things, he breaks their business model, which undermines their political power.” – Ned Ryan (18:52 – 19:05)

  • The “Berlin Wall moment” analogy: Carson and Ryan foresee Democratic urban control collapsing, liberating residents from decades of misgovernance.

    “It’s all coming down. The wall is coming down. There’s nothing Democrats can do about it. Free at last, free at last. Great God almighty, we’re free at last. Let freedom ring.” – Rob Carson (~26:30)

5. Media, Urban Education, and the Stakes for 2024

• Failures in Urban Education

  • Carson reads alarming statistics on failing high schools in Chicago, where high graduation rates mask functional illiteracy.

    “Graduation rate at Chicago Technology Academy, 91% students proficient in reading 0%. … Dooming these kids. Dooming them.” – Rob Carson (~25:20)

• The National Metaphor

  • Carson situates Trump’s candidacy as the ultimate challenge to a corrupt, sclerotic system:

    “This is a Berlin Wall moment. For the people living in Democrat controlled cities, the wall is Coming down.” – Rob Carson (~25:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I am the Republican candidate…Major party candidates don’t drop out for independents who are losers to begin.” – Curtis Sliwa (06:59)

• “Show me who your friends are, I’ll tell you who you are…Zoran Mondami has palled around with socialists, with communists. Now this radical extremist is imam. This is somebody who is anti American.” – Nicole Malliotakis (07:58)

• “They want the chaos, they want the death, they want the destruction because it allows them to consolidate power…These are power bases for them, Jesse.” – Ned Ryan (18:11)

• “If Democrats lose Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania goes red every time…Illinois, if it weren’t for Chicago and Cook county…Illinois is very red.” – Ned Ryan (19:14)

• “It’s all coming down. The weight can only be carried so long.” – Rob Carson (~26:30)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment & Key Content | |-------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:16–04:44 | Rob Carson’s comedic news roundup; sarcastic breakdown of NYC mayoral race polling | | 05:44–07:32 | Curtis Sliwa on Newsmax defending his candidacy and questioning poll reliability | | 07:58–09:43 | Nicole Malliotakis on Zoran Mondami’s radical ties and lack of experience | | 10:02–14:44 | Urban crime, Antifa, bar owner describes violence in Portland; law & order discussion | | 15:14–19:33 | Ned Ryan on Democratic “urban power base” and implications of possible GOP inroads | | 19:33–25:20 | Carson’s extended “Berlin Wall” metaphor; critique of urban education, collapse of Dem narrative | | 31:01–37:06 | James Rosen segment: shutdown politics, federal intervention in D.C., lighthearted banter | | 40:43–41:30 | Consequences for criminal youths in D.C.; frustration with soft courts |

Tone & Style

• Blunt, irreverent, and comedic: Carson leans on sarcasm, parody, and direct language.
• Populist conservative: Criticism of Democratic leaders and policies is direct and sometimes hyperbolic.
• Frequent analogies: References to “Berlin Wall moments,” “crap sandwich” choices, and historic conservative comebacks.
• Audience engagement: Encourages frustration with “the system” and portrays current events as a historic turning point.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• The episode is a fast-paced, highly opinionated commentary on the New York mayoral race as a microcosm of the larger struggle over American cities.
• It features Curtis Sliwa making the pitch for his candidacy, while establishment politicians warn about far-left radicalism and crime.
• Carson and guests frame the current era as either the collapse or the last gasp of Democratic machine politics in big cities, drawing comparisons to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
• The episode is peppered with humor, pop culture references, and sharp-edged criticism, with an emphasis on the theme that urban voters are at a breaking point and change is imminent.

Recommended segments for a quick listen:

• Sliwa’s passionate defense of his campaign (05:44–07:32)
• Nicole Malliotakis on her personal background and fear of socialist leadership (07:58–09:43)
• Ned Ryan’s analysis of why Democrats resist fixing cities (18:11–19:58)
• Carson’s powerful “Berlin Wall moment” metaphor (~25:20–26:30)

This summary captures the major arguments, memorable one-liners, and the colorful tone that defines The Rob Carson Show, focusing on both the specific mayoral race and the broader national context.