Trump’s DOJ Clears Adams, blocking Andrew Cuomo’s easy political comeback. NYC mayoral race reshaped as GOP scrambles for a serious contender.
By Dick LaFontaine with Richard Luthmann
The Justice Department’s decision to drop the federal corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams has sent shockwaves through New York City’s political landscape.
But according to The Unknown Podcast hosts Richard Luthmann and Michael Volpe, the real story isn’t Adams walking free—it’s how the move strategically blocks Andrew Cuomo from an easy return to power.
Trump’s DOJ Clears Adams on a Case That Was a Sham from the Start
On The Unknown Podcast, Luthmann laid out why the Trump DOJ’s decision was both legally sound and politically savvy.
“Prosecutorial discretion is fundamental,” Luthmann said. “The DOJ isn’t required to push a case that’s riddled with weak evidence and political interference.”
He pointed to Emil Bove, a respected former U.S. attorney, who signed off on the dismissal.
“If the government doesn’t want to prosecute, the court has no authority to force it.”
Volpe pushed back, calling it “political horse-trading of an indictment,” suggesting Adams cut a deal with Trump to drop the case in exchange for cooperation on immigration enforcement.
But Luthmann rejected that narrative.
“That’s not the deal,” he shot back. “The corrupt deal here is the one between Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo to push Adams out and give Cuomo a cakewalk into Gracie Mansion.”
Cuomo’s Path to City Hall Hits a Roadblock
Cuomo, still eyeing a political comeback after resigning in disgrace, was expected to step in as Adams floundered.
But Adams’ survival means Cuomo now faces a fight he wasn’t counting on.
“The Democrats shot themselves in the foot when they took Cuomo down,” Luthmann said. “Now they’re trying to resurrect him, but Adams getting his 8-to-1 matching funds back makes that a lot harder.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the investigation that forced Cuomo out, appears to be siding with Trump on this one.
According to reports, James has been encouraging NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams to enter the race to siphon votes from Cuomo and Eric Adams.
“James and Trump agreeing on something? That tells you everything you need to know about Cuomo’s threat,” Luthmann remarked.
The GOP’s Curtis Sliwa Problem
Meanwhile, Republicans have their own mess. Curtis Sliwa, the Guardian Angels founder and former Reform Party figure, is set to be the GOP nominee again.
But Luthmann, who worked with Sliwa, thinks it’s a disaster.
“Sliwa is a joke candidate,” he said bluntly. “He can’t win against Adams, he can’t win against Cuomo. He’s not even a has-been. Politically, he’s a ‘never-was.’ ”
“Curtis has shitty political judgment. He backed Gary Johnson over Trump in 2016, which is why the Reform Party never endorsed. Curtis was more stoned than Gary Johnson, and he wasn’t smoking anything,” Luthmann said.
Instead, Luthmann argued that the GOP should back someone like Andrea Catsimatidis, the chairwoman of the Manhattan Republican Party and daughter of billionaire John Catsimatidis.
“She’s young, she’s smart, she’s got money, and she could actually build a coalition,” Luthmann said. “She could do what Nicole Malliotakis did—use a mayoral run to catapult herself into real power.”
Political consultants agree that NYC Republicans are drawing dead with Curtis Sliwa.
“They might as well dig up Herman Badillo and run him. He’ll probably get as many votes as Curtis Sliwa, maybe more. He hasn’t said or done anything controversial or stupid since he died ten years ago,” a noted Manhattan Democratic consultant said, speaking anonymously.
Badillo, a former Congressman and Bronx Borough President, was a Democrat for many years before he became a Republican and ran an unsuccessful campaign for NYC Mayor in 2001.
Malliotakis: The GOP Blueprint for Power
Luthmann pointed to Nicole Malliotakis as the model the NYC Republicans should adopt.
She lost to Bill de Blasio in 2017 but leveraged that campaign to become a major GOP power broker.
“Now she’s in Congress, the most influential Republican in NYC, maybe in New York State,” he said. “Every dollar of the city’s federal funding crosses her desk. They all have to come kiss her ass.”
Catsimatidis, he argued, could follow the same path.
“Even if she doesn’t win, a strong run positions her for the Senate or another statewide role,” Luthmann said. “The GOP needs to wake up before it’s too late.”
The Bottom Line: Trump’s DOJ Clears Adams, Game On
With Adams clear of federal charges, Cuomo’s comeback is no longer guaranteed.
The former governor now faces a real primary battle, with Adams standing in his way and Letitia James working against him.
Meanwhile, the GOP needs to ditch Sliwa and find a serious candidate before it’s too late.
“Trump played this perfectly,” Luthmann concluded. “He kept Adams in place, blocked Cuomo, and positioned the city to work with ICE and Tom Homan.”
“Now it’s up to the NY GOP to get their act together,” he said. “If that’s even possible.”
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