Curtis Sliwa, the Republican firebrand and former New York City mayoral candidate, is facing a wave of backlash from conservatives after appearing in a lighthearted comedy sketch with socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
According to The Blaze, the video, produced for the long-running Inner Circle charity show, features Sliwa dressed as a doctor administering an allergy shot to Mamdani so the mayor can keep a cat at the official residence, a skit that has infuriated many on the right who once backed Sliwa as a staunch opponent of the citys leftward lurch. Sliwa, who had aggressively attacked Mamdani during the mayoral campaign, now appears far more conciliatory toward the socialist incumbent, a shift that some Republicans view as a troubling sign of political opportunism rather than principle.
Sliwa defended his participation by stressing the charitable and pro-animal message of the performance, telling the New York Post, "I thought it was great because it was promoting rescuing animals." Others, however, saw nothing admirable in the display and interpreted it as a capitulation to the very ideology Sliwa once vowed to fight.
"Betrayed his family. Betrayed the Republican Party. Betrayed everyone," a Republican operative told the Post on condition of anonymity, encapsulating the sense of anger among some donors and activists. The Post also reported that several former supporters now want their campaign contributions returned after watching Sliwa clown around with the socialist mayor.
Former New York Governor David Paterson, a Democrat, joined the pile-on while simultaneously questioning Sliwas loyalty to his own party. "When you don't have a bed to sleep in, you have to find anyone who will take you," Paterson remarked, before adding, "You can tell when people are true to the party, and I thought it was reprehensible."
Sliwa responded by accusing his Republican critics of hypocrisy, noting their silence when national GOP figures engaged with Mamdani. "If people are upset at that, why arent you mad at the president, Donald Trump, who has welcomed him into the White House twice?" he said, arguing that his brief sketch hardly compares to high-level meetings in Washington.
He further insisted that the Inner Circle performance was the first time he had spoken to Mamdani since losing the election, portraying the interaction as limited and ceremonial rather than a political alliance. Nonetheless, the controversy lands at an awkward moment for Sliwa, who is already positioning himself for another run for the Republican mayoral nomination in 2029.
Paterson, still resentful over Sliwas decision to remain in a past race and potentially siphon votes from former Governor Andrew Cuomo, mocked Sliwas electoral record as evidence that his judgment is as questionable as his party loyalty. "[Curtis] was never going to win," Paterson said. "He got 7 percentage points, seven even the Jets get seven when they play."
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