\u201cWhen [Adams] dies of greed, which he will \u2026 when it comes time to close the casket and bring him to the burial ground, you won\u2019t be able to close the casket, he\u2019s so crooked, you\u2019ll have to get a Black & Decker power drill to drill him into the ground,\u201d Sliwa said of Adams.<\/p>\n
On climate change, Sliwa broke from some members of his party<\/a>, calling global warming real and urging the audience to confront climate denial directly.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll be dead and buried when a new generation has to deal with the ramifications,\u201d Sliwa said of climate change deniers. \u201cI\u2019m going to hear from idiots who say that\u2019s fake news. I\u2019d rather deal with the scientists who dedicated their life to that.\u201d<\/p>\n On the topic of the Iran War, Sliwa voiced criticism toward U.S. involvement in the country\u2019s affairs and attacked U.S. spending on military deployments in the Middle East.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the hell are we doing in Iran?\u201d he said. \u201cWhat the hell are we spending billions of dollars on bombs for theft and destruction?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Sliwa was openly dismissive of claims that Iran poses an imminent existential threat to ordinary Americans.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s being told to us because of imminent threats on America. Really, the Iranians? Did you go to bed at night thinking, oh, that ayatollah, man, he\u2019s gonna drop the big one? Please. Do you think we\u2019re all stupid? Yes, they do. Yes, they do.\u201d<\/p>\n Sliwa traced the roots of his approach to public life back to Canarsie, the Brooklyn neighborhood where he grew up. He spoke about how he founded the Guardian Angels in 1979, initially recruiting young, predominantly Black and Latino men from the Bronx to conduct unarmed anti-crime patrols at a moment when, as he described it, gang activity had rendered the city\u2019s subways genuinely dangerous.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sliwa was also candid about the personal cost of his public profile. In 1992, he was shot multiple times in what was widely reported as a mob-ordered hit<\/a> tied to his criticism of the Gambino crime family on morning drive radio. He situated the attack within a longer history of confrontations with organized crime that began in Canarsie.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to stand up for the things you believe in,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not suggesting that other people do this, but I grew up in that culture.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n During a Q&A period with the audience, students pressed Sliwa on gun control, climate policy, and the role of citizen-led safety organizations alongside formal law enforcement.\u00a0<\/p>\n In response to a student who asked what advice he would give to those hoping to pursue public service, Sliwa acknowledged the frustrations they would likely encounter but did not discourage them from the career path.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPolitics is, without a doubt, the dirtiest business in the world,\u201d he said. \u201cBut you can remain positive \u2014 you can be a contributor, not a taker.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In an interview with The Daily Princetonian following the event, Ramos said that the idea of bringing Sliwa to campus first emerged in December 2025 when she and vice president of Whig-Clio Noah Barkan \u201928 were mapping out their program for the upcoming semester. Ramos and Barkan sought someone who could draw students from across campus, instead of just those who frequented Whig-Clio events.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone like Curtis Sliwa could bring a lot of people from different social groups on campus,\u201d she said, citing his social media presence and the breadth of issues he covers.\u00a0<\/p>\n The outreach process itself required some improvisation. Ramos messaged Rusat Ramgopal, a former Sliwa campaign staffer, on Instagram, and commented directly on one of his posts in hopes of increasing the chance that he would see her message.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI sent him a message on Instagram with the pitch,\u201d she said. \u201cHe sent me the organizer\u2019s information maybe 22 minutes later.\u201d<\/p>\n Students in the audience commented on Sliwa\u2019s lighthearted, humorous nature throughout the event.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c[Sliwa] honestly treated the event a little bit like he treats being \u2026 a show host, I think,\u201d Mira Schubert \u201929 told the \u2018Prince.\u2019 \u201cThe entrance was surprising,\u201d she added. Sliwa marched in to \u201cDon\u2019t Let Me Down\u201d by the Chainsmokers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Similarly, Tabish Farrell \u201929, who closely followed the 2025 New York City mayoral race, was surprised to see that Sliwa was \u201cmaking fun of himself, and the room was eating it up.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Tiger](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/paw-love.png\")
\n Support nonprofit student journalism. Donate to the \u2018Prince.\u2019 Donate now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Subscribe\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/subscribe-mail.png\")
\n Get the best of the \u2018Prince\u2019 delivered to your doorstep or inbox. Subscribe now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n
\n Support nonprofit student journalism. Donate to the \u2018Prince.\u2019 Donate now \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n