Podcast Summary: The Rob Carson Show – “Curtis Sliwa: The Underdog Bites Back!”

Date: October 31, 2025
Host: Rob Carson (Newsmax Podcasts)
Main Guest: Curtis Sliwa (via Newsmax interview replay), Gordon Chang

Overview

In this engaging Halloween episode, Rob Carson offers his trademark humorous and provocative take on current political and cultural events. The show centers around the challenges facing Republican underdog Curtis Sliwa in the New York mayoral race, broader critiques of Democratic urban policies, recent immigration controversies, a discussion of global diplomacy with analyst Gordon Chang, and a scathing review of transgender social trends. The tone is energetic, combative, and laced with satire.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Parody & Satire: Setting the Tone

• [01:25] Rob Carson kicks off with a Jim Gossett song parody, “Spooky Scary Democrats,” lampooning Democratic policies on immigration, gender issues, abortion, and government spending.
  • Notable lyric: “Spooky scary Democrats. They want you and me to foot the bill for gender surgery... Spooky scary Democrats. They want to give illegals health care.”
  • Carson credits Gossett and encourages listener support.

2. Immigration, SNAP Benefits, & Democrat Policies

• [02:19-07:22] Carson critiques federal benefits for non-citizens, specifically citing statistics (some disputed by liberal media) that claim over half of federal benefit recipients are non-citizens and highlights New York’s $2.1 billion fund for undocumented immigrants during the pandemic.
  • [03:12] “Can you imagine what you could do on $12,000 a month? Could you imagine what you could do with $12,000 a month in benefits?” – Carson
  • Claims these policies motivate illegal voting and population replacement in Democrat-run states.

3. Domestic Terror Threats and FBI Action

• [07:22-08:13] Breaking news coverage of a foiled terror plot in Dearborn, Michigan. Carson uses the example to criticize the political left and suggests the threat is linked to radical Islam.
  • [08:13] “Dearborn should be under a microscope. So should Minneapolis, by the way.” – Carson

4. Curtis Sliwa vs. New York Political Machine

• [09:21-16:28] Carson plays a Newsmax interview segment with Rob Finnerty and New York Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa. The lively exchange covers polling skepticism, Sliwa’s campaign stamina, the challenges of running as a Republican in NYC, and threats posed by his opponents.
  • [09:31] Finnerty: “Why aren't you on the phone with the White House asking the President to come endorse you and campaign with you in his hometown, New York City?”
  • [09:56] Finnerty: “But you sound like a defeated man already. And it's not even election day, Curtis.”
  • [10:12] Sliwa: “Maybe you like living in a city where they lock up toothpaste and don't lock up criminals...”
  • [11:31] Sliwa: “You keep looking at the polls, I'll look to the people. I'll keep working the streets and subways. 20 hours of a 24-hour day.”
  • [15:39] Sliwa: “…if I happen to lose this or Amanda me, I become his worst nightmare. I pitch my Republican flag and my Republican law and order values and I fight, fight, fight. That's what Republicans do. They don't surrender, they don't retreat, and they don't drop out.”
• Carson follows up, lamenting the state of New York politics, the lack of fresh Republican talent, and expressing admiration for Sliwa's resilience.
  • [12:00] “There’s nobody who sacrificed more for the love of New York and his people than Curtis Sliwa. But unfortunately, you’ve got a bunch of dipwads who live in that damn city who are voting for idiots like the other two.” – Carson

5. Red States, Blue States: The Push for Law & Order

• [16:28-18:56] Carson features a clip from Jack Ciattarelli, New Jersey gubernatorial candidate, promising to reverse sanctuary policies and establish law and order.
  • [18:56] Ciattarelli: “I’m gonna reverse that on day one. If a local police chief and mayor want to work together to preserve safety in your community by partnering with a federal agency, I'm not gonna get in the way.”
• Carson discusses population loss and economic decline in Maryland and criticizes Democrats for keeping voters reliant and “impoverished.”

6. Gordon Chang on Trump’s Asia Diplomacy and China Trade

• [21:57-29:40] Foreign policy expert Gordon Chang joins to analyze the impact of former President Trump’s Asia trip and trade deals:
  • [22:25] Chang: “The stopovers in Malaysia and Japan were great triumphs for American diplomacy… Even in China’s backyard, it’s the United States that determines outcomes.”
  • [26:25] Chang on the US-China soybean deal: “China not buy[ing] a single soybean until a week ago… shows you how politically driven China’s decisions are and how they’re willing to violate their trade agreements.”
  • [27:13] Chang: “At the end of this truce, we're going to be in a far stronger position than China. And that's so clear right now. And that's because of the structure of what President Trump has been doing...”
  • The segment is peppered with anecdotes about Toyota cars, American-Japanese industrial cooperation, and mutual admiration for Trump’s diplomatic style.

7. Transgender Identity: “A Social Contagion”

• [30:33-40:33] Carson launches a lengthy, impassioned critique of transgender ideology, referencing a Wall Street Journal op-ed and recent academic studies.
  • [33:21] Carson: “Pay attention. If transgender identity were an innate trait like left-handedness, we would expect identification rates to rise at first when it became socially acceptable, then plateau… If the phenomenon were indeed driven by social contagion, we might expect a boom and bust pattern, a spike followed by a rapid decline…”
  • Quotes data showing college students identifying as transgender fell 50% from 2023-2025; argues that current “gender affirming care” exploits young people.
  • [36:27] Carson: “Those who are made to believe absurdities will commit atrocities.”
  • Strong condemnation for medical institutions and professionals engaged in pediatric transition treatments.
  • [35:51] Clip: “I’m the mom of a trans kid and I'm an elementary school teacher…” played to illustrate activists’ arguments, which Carson then refutes.

Memorable Moments & Quotes with Timestamps

• Parody Interlude
  • [01:25] “Spooky scary Democrats. They want you and me to foot the bill for gender surgery...” – Jim Gossett (parody song)
• Sliwa’s Defiant Underdog Spirit
  • [11:31] “You keep looking at the polls, I'll look to the people. I'll keep working the streets and subways. 20 hours of a 24 hour day.” – Curtis Sliwa
  • [15:39] “If I happen to lose this or Amanda me, I become his worst nightmare. I pitch my Republican flag and my Republican law and order values and I fight, fight, fight.” – Curtis Sliwa
• On Democrat Cities and Law & Order
  • [16:28] “You’re going to drop out as the Republican? Just drop out. Just forget Republicans exist altogether. Honestly, it is such a complicated situation...” – Carson
  • [18:56] “I’m gonna reverse that on day one... I’m not gonna get in the way.” – Jack Ciattarelli
• Gordon Chang on Trump’s Asian Diplomacy
  • [22:25] “What President Trump did was to solidify our relationship with critical allies, but also ... showed the world that even in China's backyard, it's the United States that determines outcomes.” – Gordon Chang
  • [27:13] “At the end of this truce, we're going to be in a far stronger position than China.” – Gordon Chang
• Transgender Trend Backlash
  • [33:21] “Pay attention. If transgender identity were an innate trait like left-handedness, we would expect identification rates to rise at first... If [it] were indeed driven by social contagion, we might expect a boom and bust pattern...” – Carson
  • [36:27] “Those who are made to believe absurdities will commit atrocities.” – Carson

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:25 | Parody song: “Spooky Scary Democrats” | | 02:19 | Carson’s critique on SNAP and non-citizen benefits | | 07:22 | Live coverage: Dearborn, MI terror plot foiled | | 09:21 | Sliwa vs. Finnerty: NYC mayoral race interview | | 14:34 | Carson’s commentary: Sliwa’s odds & NY politics | | 16:28 | Law & order politics: NJ & MD, Ciattarelli soundbite | | 21:57 | Gordon Chang on Trump's Asian diplomacy and trade with China | | 30:33 | Transgender identity as “social contagion” critique begins | | 35:50 | Activist voices and Carson’s response | | 36:27 | “Those who are made to believe absurdities will commit atrocities” | | 40:33 | End of the substantive show segment |

Overall Tone and Takeaways

Rob Carson maintains a fiery, sardonic, and unapologetically conservative tone throughout, blending humor, satire, and serious policy critique. His central messages are:

• Resist political pessimism: The underdog spirit, embodied by Sliwa, is still worth fighting for.
• Challenge mainstream narratives: Whether about polling, Democratic policy, or gender ideology, Carson urges skepticism and defiance.
• Uphold law and order and American prosperity: Celebration of Trump's global successes and Republican pushes in blue strongholds.

For listeners seeking unvarnished, right-leaning commentary with both laugh-out-loud and jaw-dropping moments, this episode delivers in spades.