Charles Gasparino, Fox Business Analyst Interview

Charles Gasparino joins Mendte in the Morning to talk about Curtis Sliwa’s chances in the NYC Mayoral race and why he thinks the Republican should stay in.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We've had Republican candidate for mayor, Curtis Lee, on with
us several times in the morning. Just last Friday, we
had him on after that poll came out showing a
three way statistical tie. But I want to take it
back months ago where he told us at that point
he's in this race because it's a four way race
and it's going to be split up, and he's going

(00:21):
to get at least thirty percent of the vote and
that could win in this race. And you know who agrees.
Charlie Gasparino, Fox Business Network Senior corresponded, who wrote a
column about this, and Charles, you take from the column
you're a believer in Curtis Lee with well, in.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
A four way race, the numbers don't lie, right, yep.
I mean, you know he has a shot, and I
mean he's got to do a few things. He's got
to raise some money. I think he's got to, you know,
earn also just sort of the trust of the business
community a little bit to raise that money. But you
know the guy, Listen, I know Curtis for a long time.

(01:01):
He's not stupid, and he can he can do all
that and he should be doing it right now. And
you know, in a four way race, this thing is
anybody's and including his. And I think, you know, and
I think it could be a full way race. That's
the other thing here. I I mean, I mean, let's

(01:22):
Cuomo stays in it, you know, because he's not gonna
have If Cloo gets out, it becomes a little different.
But you know, Cuomo looks like he's not getting out.
And and the reason why he might get out is
because of the money. I mean, he just does not
have the money, and he's not in the business community,
just wants nothing to do with him. So he's got

(01:45):
a problem from from a financial standpoint. But if he
stays in, because I think his heg is going to
be is going to prevent him from from getting out
of it. And I think I think Curtis could be
the next mayor of New York City.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
I agree with you. I think it's just going to
be a fascinating race, but it's going to kill them.
If either Cuomo or Eric Adams drop out of the race,
that's then his chances go away at that point. But
you've raised a tremendous point, and that is Curtis Lee
where it really has to talk to the money people,
and he has to convince the business community that he'd
be good for them. You know, people in the business community,

(02:22):
what do they think of Curtis Lee with.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
You know, I mean, you know, the beret, you know,
the boisterousness. I don't think they take him quite that
seriously right now. They should because the numbers are there
in a flow away race, but they don't. And I
think one thing I know about Curtis is that you know,
when you get to meet get to know him, you
also know he's not stupid. And I think, you know,

(02:49):
it would behove him to go in front of people
and to talk to them and to share like his
visions for the city. And and if he gets and
if he starts raising some money and running some ads, well,
I mean, you know, anything is possible, right, I mean,
he could do it, and it's just but it's he's
going to have to go out there and press the

(03:09):
flesh with people that you know. One thing about Curtis
is he's very, very comfortable in his own skin around
average people. He does not have a lot of sort
of like he doesn't go before business groups all that much.
That doesn't mean he can't do it. It means he
hasn't and I think he can because I know the
guy's smart, so you know, you know he should be

(03:33):
Definitely he should be doing Now.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yeah, you raised a great point, because I think that
I think they're there for the taking. I think that
they are worry about Cuomo. I think they're worried about
Eric Adams. I know with Mom Donnie, he tried to
meet with some of the billionaires and some of the
big corporate leaders and half of them wouldn't even show
up to take the meeting, including Jamie Diamond.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
So I did not show.

Speaker 1 (03:53):
Yeah, he didn't show at all. Yeah, and so Curtis Leewall,
there's an opening there. He just has to go talk
to them and listen.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
Listen, and and and tell them like what he how
he sees the city. I mean, it's gotta be I
mean listen. I mean, I think these guys would do
whatever it takes to uh not to elect Mondami, right,
and if he comes across as credible and and they
have real problems with both Adams and and Cuomo. They

(04:23):
did just you know, they Cuomo they believe blew it
the last time. They don't see him making a comeback
this time. Whether that's true or not, I'm just telling
you what they what they feel Adams is like they're
building up behind Adams, but they're also holding their nose
right because he was in some ways he was except
for you know, you know, he kind of got his
act together in the last year. Jessica Tisi is the

(04:45):
police commissioner, thank god. But other than that, it's kind
of been a train wreck, right from a lot of standpoints.
So now they look at Curtis and then and he
looks like, I know he's got the red beret at all,
but if you listen to him, he's not. Again, he
comes across credible.

Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, we've had him on several times. I'm you know,
you married such a great point, you raised such a
tremendous point that I'm shocked that that meeting hasn't already
taken place. He's got to know what you're saying. He's
got to know that he has to reach out to
the business community.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (05:19):
And and he spends, as you said, so much time
in the subway and so much time in middle class neighborhoods.
He has to expand or he's not going to win.
He has a real opportunity, right.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
And we're not talking about getting their votes. I mean
we're talking about getting their money, right, I mean that, Yeah,
this is all about He's not campaigning for that, you know,
for their vote. So you know, you don't, you know,
turn out anybody's vote, but it's their money that matters.
And I'm telling you I, you know, I after the
calm came out, I got about three or four or

(05:52):
five phone calls from rich people saying, really, I got
to meet the guy. So they're there. I mean, he's
he's got. He's now he's got to make the sale
and then run some ads and run ads and and
and you know, run ads that show him to be credible.
The best thing about curtis if in a four way race,

(06:15):
his chances is that he doesn't have to attack his opponents.
The three of them are are attacking each other, right,
It's like it's and some in ries of that scene
in Reservoir Dogs, remember the last scene and Reservoir dosy
want to shoot each other? I mean that's kind of
what he can do. And he can just sit back
let them kill each other, but run ads to show

(06:37):
what he thinks about the city and how he can run,
how he's gonna run things how he it becomes credible.
And I think that's kind of where we're at right now.
If he wants, if he if he's serious about this,
you know, you know, does he really want this job?
Does he really want to be there? If he does,
that's what he has to do. He has got to
step up with that right now, because the money gets

(07:00):
him the credibility, because you could you sort of create
this presence online. You create a presence, you know, in
the you know, on TV. It's it's a little different
ballgame these days. It's not just TV advertising you do.
You do a lot of stuff online on TikTok wherever,
but you need money to do it. Right.

Speaker 1 (07:19):
Absolutely, we're looking at you right now to broker this meeting.
Charles Gasparino, Fox Business Network, Senior correspondent, Thanks so much.
It was a great article. I appreciate your time today.