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Former Congressman-turned-radio host Anthony Weiner claims that New York City residents “blame” him for Bill de Blasio’s time as mayor of the Big Apple.
Weiner had frontrunner status in the 2013 Democratic Party primary before he stepped aside amid one of several sexting scandals, paving the way to a de Blasio victory.
But Weiner told 77 WABC owner John Catsimatidis in an interview Wednesday he could’ve still won that race.
The ex-pol left Congress in 2011 “in a cloud of scandal” after sending a lewd photo and called himself “probably the first-ever victim of a tweet that went wrong” in the interview.
“Tried to come back in 2013 and once again, my behaviors undid me in that election — even though I thought I probably coulda won,” he said.
“And some people still yet at me on the street that I’m to blame for de Blasio and I’m – I don’t know — I probably take that.”
Weiner was on the air promoting his new radio show on WABC with former Republican mayoral candidate and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa called “The Left vs. The Right.” Weiner talked about his series of scandals, which ended with him doing 15 months behind bars for obscenity.
“My bottom came later on, in 2016, when a photograph appeared in the New York Post including my son and I realized I was dealing with something pretty heavy,” Weiner said.
“I checked into rehab and took what we call in the program my ‘first step’ and realized that what I was dealing with was unmanageable and I needed to get some help.”
Since getting out of the clink in 2019, he spent time running the Brooklyn-based sustainable countertop company IceTop and volunteering in the community.
“It’s not bad doing volunteer work nowadays, because you have to wear a mask so … the soup kitchen hasn’t realized who I am and that’s just fine, too,” he said.
Catsimatidis asked Weiner what he would say to potential listeners who didn’t want him to get a “second chance?”
“It’s not hard to make a list of the things I did and say, ‘This guy’s a jerk, and let’s toss him aside,’ and for those people, maybe I’m irredeemable,” Weiner said.
“One thing I know I’m not a bad man trying to be good, I was a sick man who was trying to get well and I’m doing that every day and trying to stay that way,” he added and said he believed there are other people who dealt with the same problems he has.
Weiner had appeared on Fox News’ “Hannity” and fumbled when asked if he has changed, reportedly replying, “um I think so.” When asked again by Catsimatidis on Wednesday, Weiner answered more definitively.
“So are you the example of doing prison time and losing everything you had, almost, being a congressman, being a mayor – almost being a mayor you feel you learned your lesson?” Catsimatidis said.
“Oh my God, yes,” Weiner replied.
He discussed how his actions led to him losing now ex-wife Huma Abedin and his political career.
“That’s my past every day I look down at my feet, and I say look this is a moment I have to try to do better, to try to be of service. All of this changed me.”
Weiner is still on probation after his 2017 conviction on transmitting obscene material to a 15-year-old girl.
“The Left vs. The Right” will air on Saturdays from 2-4 p.m.
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