Curtis Sliwa is now unplugged.
The Republican mayoral nominee abruptly quit his job at WABC-AM Radio during a blistering live interview on the station on Wednesday morning after the station’s billionaire owner, John Catsimatidis, publicly called for Sliwa to drop out of the mayoral election two days ago.
Speaking with right-wing commentator Sid Rosenberg on the “Sid & Friends” show on Wednesday, Sliwa complained that the station was giving favorable treatment to Cuomo and vowed never to return to work at the station, regardless of the outcome of the election.
“You will never see me in the studios of WABC again. Never. No matter how this election turns out,” he told Rosenberg on Wednesday morning.
Sliwa says radio station ‘Always Broadcasting Cuomo’
The Republican nominee joked that WABC stands for “Always Broadcasting Cuomo” in a reference to Cuomo’s two appearances on the station since last Thursday’s debate.
He also blasted Rosenberg for what he described as a series of negative attacks against his campaign.
“There are colleagues at WABC who are going out of their way to criticize me,” Sliwa said. He further accused WABC hosts of “stabbing him in the back.”
Rosenberg told the Sliwa that the criticism was “nothing personal” and said he was worried that “Mamdani is going to win.”
Sliwa, who has worked with WABC Radio for decades, was on a leave of absence from his regular Sunday night show while running for mayor. The Republican candidate is currently polling third in the election, lagging far behind Cuomo and even further behind Democratic nominee and clear frontrunner Zohran Mamdani.
According to most election polls, Mamdani enjoys a double-digit lead over both candidates, but a recent AARP/Gotham poll has suggested that his lead shrinks to four points in a one-on-one contest with Cuomo.
Such numbers prompted Catsimatidis to call for Sliwa to withdraw from the race on Monday morning.
Catsimatidis, a billionaire supermarket magnate and prominent GOP donor, made the call during an appearance on Sid & Friends on WABC on Monday morning. Rosenberg also called on Sliwa to withdraw from the race.
In a press conference held on Wednesday afternoon, Catsimatidis said Sliwa is “always welcome” at WABC despite his apparent on-air resignation, while WABC President Chad Lopez stated that the Republican nominee still holds a contract with the station.
Lopez said WABC wanted Sliwa to succeed in the election, while Catsimatidis said the station supported Sliwa’s campaign but said he would rather someone “other than a socialist” to win the election.
Catsimatidis stated that he had never threatened Sliwa’s job in order to encourage the Republican nominee to drop out of the race and attributed his fiery interview with Rosenberg to a “tough morning” for Sliwa. He said Sliwa had been accustomed to Rosenberg’s support in the election before Rosenberg’s call for Sliwa to drop out on Monday morning.
Sliwa, the Guardian Angels founder, has repeatedly stated that he will remain in the race until Election Day next month, stating that it is up to Cuomo to “actively earn” the support of voters who would otherwise vote for the Republican nominee.
GOP leaders from all five counties in New York City also released a joint statement Tuesday reaffirming their support for Sliwa.
Richmond County Chair Assembly Member Michael Tannousis; New York County Chair Andrea Catsimatidis (John Catsimatidis’ daughter); Bronx County Chair Michael Rendino; Queens County Chair Anthony Nunziato; and Kings County Chair Liam McCabe all announced their support for Sliwa in Tuesday’s joint statement.
The Republican Party chairs cited the “overwhelming grassroots momentum” behind the Sliwa campaign, “record petitioning,” and citywide support from the ground up as reasons for their unequivocal support for the Republican nominee in next month’s race. They described him as the “credible leader who will defeat the radical left.”
