Latest news with #AnthonyWeiner
Fox News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Disgraced Democrat Anthony Weiner roasts Kamala Harris for blowing up her campaign on ‘The View'
Despite going to prison for a sex scandal involving minors, disgraced former congressman and former New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner said on Friday he can still do a better job than his Democratic colleagues did in the 2024 election. During an appearance on ABC's "The View," Weiner explained that he is attempting to get back into politics by running for New York City Council because he believes, despite his baggage, that he's a better politician than current Democratic figures. He also mocked former Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of ruining her 2024 presidential campaign while appearing on the same show. "By the way, was this where Kamala Harris was sitting when she blew up her campaign?" he asked as soon as he took his seat between the four co-hosts. "Is this the spot?" Weiner asked, gesturing to his chair. "I hope I don't have the same fate." Harris told "The View" last year that there "is not a thing that comes to mind" when asked what she would have done differently than then-President Biden. The moment was widely seen as a turning point that led to the downfall of her campaign. Later in the interview, Weiner hit Harris again. He responded to co-host Joy Behar's suggestion that even though men like Weiner and President Donald Trump have problematic pasts, a woman like the former vice president still can't make it to the highest office. Though the aspiring city council member admitted female politicians are often judged harshly, he maintained that Harris made an obvious blunder in response to "The View's" "softball" question last year. "The problem is, it's a little bit too easy an answer, though, because also there were things that Kamala Harris – I made a joking reference to the answer she gave on this show: 'Is there anything you would do different?' That is the softest of softball that – every politician dreams to have that question," Weiner replied. "You still have to be a good candidate." Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Weiner left Congress in 2011 following a photo of the married then-congressman leaking on one of his social media accounts. Additional sex scandals mounted in the following years, culminating in an FBI investigation that led to Weiner serving 21 months in prison and registering as a sex offender after sending sexually explicit images to a minor. After his dig toward Harris at the top of the segment, Behar pressed Weiner on why he believes he can get back into politics considering his scandal-plagued background. The aspiring city councilman said it's because he believes he's a better politician than many current Democratic lawmakers. "I think what I said at the time was I couldn't imagine there would ever be a chance that either people would want me back or that I would want to get back into that again," he replied. "But when I woke up in November of '24 and saw the election results, but more than who won, I looked around New York City and saw how many fewer Democrats even turned out to vote. And I started to say to myself, 'Something is seriously wrong here.'" Weiner said too many Democratic candidates were running "frictionless" campaigns and playing it too safe. He told the co-hosts that he felt compelled to jump back into politics because his contemporaries were not answering the public's "cry that they wanted things to change." He added that his past was not a "good enough reason… not to get off the couch and try." Co-host Ana Navarro pressed him on his specific scandals, asking, "Why should New Yorkers give you a chance at a political comeback?" He replied, "I'm doing the opposite of what a lot of politicians do in my position – ignore that problem, pretend it didn't happen, blame someone else. I am saying, yes, I did these things. I got into recovery. I tried to make my life better. And now, if I can be of service – and I'm a damn good politician. I come up with answers, I talk to people directly, I don't try to butter over things, I try to be direct." "Look, all I can ever be is who I am right now and that brought me to this space," Weiner added.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Anthony Weiner says female politicians ‘judged much more harshly than men'
Anthony Weiner says politicians such as him and Donald Trump can survive scandals while qualified candidates like Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton lose elections because 'women get judged much more harshly than men do'. 'I do believe that,' Weiner said Friday on ABC's The View amid his run for a New York City council seat years after he crashed out of Congress in the wake of a sexting scandal that some argue aided Trump in clinching his first presidency in 2016. Much of Weiner's appearance on the talkshow involved his addressing the various scandals that set the stage for one of the most spectacular falls from grace in US politics. As he has done before, Weiner asserted that he was in 'recovery' after sexually messaging a teenaged girl led him to serve 18 months in prison. That came after a sexting scandal drove him out of the US House in 2011 after 13 years representing New Yorkers there. A 2013 run for New York mayor failed after he became ensnared in another scandal over sexual texts sent under the moniker Carlos Danger. Then, in 2016, as former secretary of state Clinton ran for the White House against Trump with the help of Weiner's then wife, Human Abedin, federal authorities opened a criminal investigation into the ex-congressman's exchange of lewd photos with a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. Investigators involved in that inquiry found emails on Weiner's personal laptop that prompted them to re-examine a private email server used by Clinton. Agents did not find any incriminating evidence against Clinton. But many Democrats to this day believe the unflattering media coverage that surrounded the private email server investigation had a hand in Clinton's decisive electoral college defeat to Trump despite his having lost the popular vote. Trump then lost the 2020 presidential race to Joe Biden before retaking the Oval Office in 2024 against vice-president Harris, overcoming – among other things – having been convicted of criminally falsifying business records in connection with payments to adult film actor Stormy Daniels and having been held civilly liable for sexually abusing former Elle magazine columnist E Jean Carroll. All of which prompted The View co-host Joy Behar to tell Weiner it seemed that men like him were held to a different standard in politics than 'qualified women'. Beside him and Trump, she also mentioned other figures who had faced notorious, sex-related scandals, including Clinton's husband – Bill Clinton – as well as the ex-New York governors Eliot Spitzer and Andrew Cuomo. Weiner replied by arguing that he, Clinton, Spitzer and Cuomo all did 'pay a price' to some extent. The ousted congressman said Clinton was impeached during his second term as US president while Spitzer and Cuomo both resigned New York's governorship. 'I mean, I hate to correct you,' Weiner said. 'The question is … how do you judge their record in totality?' Nonetheless, Weiner added, 'I do believe that women get judged much more harshly than men do. I do believe that.' The Democratic primary election for the New York City council seat that Weiner is eyeing is on 24 June. Cuomo is signed up to run in the Democratic primary election for mayor that same day. The general election for both races is set for 4 November.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Disgraced sex offender Democrat's excuse for sexting underage girl as he attempts a comeback
Disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner says his conviction for sexting a minor is 'not a good enough reason' for voters to dismiss him as he mounts a political comeback. Weiner, 60, who is a registered sex offender after his sick sex scandal was exposed by almost a decade ago, faced The View panelists as they grilled him about his run for New York City Council. Panelist Ana Navarro confronted Weiner about his 'many' scandals, which also included sexting women under the pseudonym 'Carlos Danger', which the politician said he was not shying away from. 'With all that said, why should New Yorkers give you a shot at a political comeback?' Behar questioned. Weiner responded: 'Let me just say this - all of that happened. I accept responsibility for it. 'You won't hear me do what some other people like Donald Trump or Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams have done,' he said, adding that he does not brand himself as being 'persecuted or a victim.' The politician said he realizes now that he was suffering from 'an addiction' at the time of his scandal, but said he deserved forgiveness for accepting the public humiliation instead of playing victim. 'I didn't ask for a trial, I pled guilty, I served my time in prison, did probation and tried to do good work for the formerly incarcerated,' he said. 'I guess what I'm saying to people is, maybe don't vote for me in spite of what they know about me, but maybe consider that journey, that idea that we all go through things,' Weiner continued. Weiner noted that although he is Jewish, he likes a notion commonly found in Catholicism that people 'suffer for a reason so you can be of service on the other end.' 'So, I'm doing the opposite of what a lot of politicians do in my position... I'm saying, yes, I did these things, I got into recovery, I tried to make my life better, and now I can be of service,' he continued. 'And I'm a damn good politician.' When Weiner's underage sex scandal was exposed by the Daily Mail in 2016, the 15-year-old he was sexting with said he asked her to dress up in 'school-girl' outfits for him on a video messaging application and pressed her to engage in 'rape fantasies.' But he said on The View that this should be 'not a good enough reason' for New Yorkers to dismiss him, 'just because I have bad things in my past.' 'All I can ever be is who I am right now,' he continued. Panelist Alyssa Farah Griffin likened Weiner to politicians such as Donald Trump who have had brushes with the law, saying that figures like them are why Americans have such a low level of trust in their representatives. Weiner responded: 'I think what politicians sometimes don't realize, is that voters don't expect you to be some kind of paradigm of greatness. 'They want you to be an honest, authentic, full person.' His appeal to voters appeared to land poorly with panelist Joy Behar, who also lumped Weiner in with other male politicians who have had sex scandals such as former New York Governors Eliot Spitzer and Andrew Cuomo. 'I'm listening to you now and I'm thinking, what do these people have in common? Cuomo, Clinton, Trump, Wiener, Spitzer, they're all men, they are all men,' Behar said. 'We were talking about this before, about trying to appeal to these men out there. Why is it that two qualified women could not beat all of you guys? These women can never beat you. 'They're more qualified than almost anybody on that list, including you, I'm sorry.' Weiner agreed that women are often held to a higher standard than men, but countered Behar's point to say that he suffered consequences, including being booted from office and serving time behind bars. 'I mean, I hate to correct you. Bill Clinton was impeached, Eliot Spitzer was thrown out of office, I was thrown at of office, Andrew Cuomo was thrown out of office, so we do pay a price,' he said. 'The question is, if you are gonna say to those people, how do you judge their record in totality? I do believe that women get judged much more harshly than men do.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The View' Hosts Bluntly Ask About – and Poke Fun at – Anthony Weiner's Sex Scandals Directly to Him
Former congressman and convicted sex offender Anthony Weiner stopped by 'The View' on Friday morning, and while he was there, the ABC hosts pulled no punches when it came to addressing his past scandals. To introduce the man, moderator Joy Behar (Whoopi Goldberg does not appear on the show on Fridays) reminded the audience of his 'series of, shall we say, sexting scandals' and then wryly asked the audience to 'please welcome the very contrite Anthony Weiner.' When Behar asked if 'contrite' was the right adjective, Weiner agreed but immediately took the opportunity to swipe at a past political interview on the show. 'Yeah. By the way, was this where Kamala Harris was sitting when she blew up her campaign?' Weiner quipped. 'Was this the spot? I hope I don't have the same fate.' "I got into recovery. I tried to make my life better. And now if I can be of service and I'm a damn good politician."Former Congressman Anthony Weiner discusses his run for New York City Council and addresses his sexting scandals that forced him to resign from office. — The View (@TheView) May 30, 2025 The hosts laughed and conceded that it was indeed where the former vice president was sitting, before launching properly into the interview. But, as she started her question, Behar trailed off, chuckling at the circumstances. 'So Anthony, when you got out of the hoosegow, um — ' she said 'Yeah, great, just make fun of that,' he said with a smile. Weiner willingly talked of his scandals though, eventually prompting Behar to note that he's a good politician and has a knack for talking to people, and admitting that 'I was very unhappy that you got yourself into hot water.' The former congressman argued that his success came from talking to a wide swath of voters, and not just sticking to media appearances where he knew he would have friendly journalists. But he also took the opportunity to point out that he never came on 'The View.' 'I would go on Fox News, I would go on 'The View' and take tough questions — I mean, I didn't, I never got invited to 'The View.' I had to have a giant scandal to get invited to 'The View,'' Weiner joked. The women didn't let him off the hook though. When it came time for her question, host Ana Navarro teed things up bluntly, saying 'Let's talk about some of these giant scandals. You've had numerous of them.' She then proceeded to list each one, which included sending nude photos via social media and sexting multiple women while he was married, including one minor. 'So with all that said, why do you think, or why should New Yorkers give you a chance at a political comeback?' Navarro asked. Weiner argued that people should not vote for him in spite of what he's done, but rather consider it in the whole picture, and remember that he owned up to each of his scandals and served his time. Eventually, host Sara Haines asked if voters would even be able to trust that, if he were to have a sex scandal again — Weiner says he is an addict — he would be able to 'own up to it without having to be 'caught.'' Finally, Behar admitted that while Weiner is charismatic and makes good points, she couldn't help but wonder why he and other disgraced male politicians remain frontrunners. 'Why is it that two qualified women could not beat all of you guys?' she asked. 'These women can never beat you. They're more qualified that almost anybody on that list, including you, I'm sorry.' To that, Weiner conceded that women are judged more harshly than men. You can watch part of Anthony Weiner's appearance on 'The View' in the video above. The post 'The View' Hosts Bluntly Ask About – and Poke Fun at – Anthony Weiner's Sex Scandals Directly to Him | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Anthony Weiner discusses sexting scandal while attempting political comeback, says 'women are crazy about me'
Anthony Weiner, the disgraced ex-congressman seeking to return to politics as a member of New York's City Council, quipped during an interview that "women are crazy about me" despite going to prison and being required to register as a sex offender. "Oh for sure, for sure, my god, they're crazy about me. Women are crazy about me," Weiner said when comedian and podcaster Adam Friedland asked if the power politicians wield makes them more attractive to the opposite sex. Weiner's sexting saga began more than a decade ago after a lewd photo of the married congressman in his underwear was posted to one of Weiner's public social media accounts. That initial photo set off a series of events, including his widely publicized departure from Congress in 2011, additional sexting scandals and an FBI investigation that resulted in Weiner serving 21 months in prison and registering as a sex offender for sending sexually explicit images to a minor. Weiner appeared Wednesday on a YouTube-based show hosted by Friedland, during which the podcaster suggested Weiner's sexting scandal wouldn't even break the "top 100" news stories of the year in 2025. Weiner agreed, adding "it was a relatively slow news period" at the time. He also said his name was part of the reason it gained so much publicity. "I'm a guy named Weiner who tweeted out a picture of his d---," he said. Friedland pointed to what he suggested was a lack of coverage about accusations against former GOP Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, who was accused last year of engaging in sex with a minor. Gaetz has denied the accusations. "Right, and if his name was Matt Kidf---er then the story would have," Weiner said, before Friedland interjected. "No, that's not true," Friedland said. "Think about it this way. If it was today, it would be a 48-hour news cycle, and it would be forgotten." Weiner challenged Friedland's theory, telling him it was not a novel idea to think technology played a role in making his sexting scandal so widely publicized. "Let's move off of this one, not terribly novel idea that technology played a part," Weiner said. Weiner and Friedland continued discussing the sexting scandal, including the potential domino effect it played in relation to James Comey's investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server. During the FBI's investigation of Weiner's alleged sexual crimes against a minor, officials reportedly came across emails that prompted FBI Director Comey to reopen an investigation into Clinton's use of the email server. Other topics included how Weiner frequently gets mistaken for another sex scandal-plagued New York politician, Eliot Spitzer, how he stayed safe in prison, what it was like having to register as a sex offender and his relationships with other New York Democrats. Weiner is running in the Democratic primary to represent Manhattan's East Side District 2.
