The Lionel Show - WABC Radio

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo examines several dimensions of social and political division currently fracturing both New York City and the international community. Cuomo begins by condemning a surge in anti-Semitism, specifically criticizing mayoral inaction regarding a vetoed city council bill intended to protect students from harassment near schools. The program shifts to a discussion with Urban...

Andrew Cuomo consults Dr. Nazee Moinian to analyze the strategic stalemate and escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. Moinian explains that the American administration is currently leveraging optionality, balancing the threat of a massive military presence with a policy of coercive diplomacy intended to paralyze the Iranian economy. The discussion highlights a fundamental clash of...

Andrew Cuomo and Marc Morial discuss a recent Supreme Court ruling on redistricting in Louisiana that they argue effectively guts the Voting Rights Act of 1965. They contend that by requiring proof of discriminatory intent rather than just discriminatory effect, the Court has placed an impossibly high burden on those seeking fair representation. This shift is portrayed as a catalyst for hyper-part...

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo analyzes a series of high-stakes political and civic crises, ranging from a foiled mass shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to the geopolitical stalemate in Iran. Cuomo critiques the current New York City mayor for vetoing a school safety bill, arguing that the decision was a failure of leadership that ignored the rising tide of anti-semitism. The progra...

Andrew Cuomo and Paul Goldberger evaluate two competing visions for restoring the site's former glory while addressing the practical realities of urban development. They argue that while moving Madison Square Garden would be the idealistic solution for a total reconstruction, it is likely impossible due to logistical hurdles and ownership resistance. Instead, they advocate for a pragmatic compromi...

Andrew Cuomo and former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson engage in a high-level dialogue regarding national security vulnerabilities and the complexities of modern geopolitical conflict. The speakers first analyze the strategic leverage Iran maintains over the Strait of Hormuz, expressing concern that current U.S. foreign policy may inadvertently lead to a military stalemate or a repeat...

Jack Jacobs and Andrew Cuomo discuss a geopolitical stalemate between the United States and Iran following an American military intervention. The dialogue highlights how Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has crippled global shipping and spiked energy prices, creating a crisis that the current administration failed to anticipate. Jacobs argues that while the Iranian theocracy remains insulated...

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo critiques the erosion of government competence, characterizing the public's acceptance of state failure as a relationship deterioration syndrome comparable to a frog slowly boiling in a pot. He argues that while the private sector achieves massive feats like skyscrapers and innovative infrastructure, modern government has become apathetic and dysfunctional, wasting million...

Andrew Cuomo and nuclear expert Andrea Stricker examine whether a reliable peace deal can be brokered to prevent Iran from developing atomic weapons. Stricker argues that for a treaty to be credible, it must involve the complete dismantling of enrichment facilities and rigorous international inspections similar to historic precedents in South Africa and Libya. The conversation highlights a tension...

Andrew Cuomo explores the limitations of military power in resolving the nuclear standoff with Iran, emphasizing that negotiated diplomacy remains the only viable path to a lasting solution. Expert Joe Cirincione argues that conventional strikes cannot fully eliminate a nuclear program hidden in deep fortifications, nor can they neutralize Iran's asymmetric warfare capabilities, such as the use of...

Colonel Jack Jacobs provides a strategic assessment of the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran, highlighting the disconnect between ongoing military provocations and the underlying desire for a diplomatic exit. He suggests that while decentralized command structures may lead to unauthorized skirmishes on the ground, both nations are incentivized to reach a ceasefire due to polit...

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo offers a biting critique of the current New York City administration and evaluates the geopolitical complexities surrounding Iran. He characterizes Mayor Mandani’s first 100 days as a profound failure of leadership, citing broken campaign promises, rising transit crime, and a divisive environment that has particularly alienated the Jewish community. Cuomo argues that t...

Andrea Stricker argues that the United States must demand the irreversible nuclear dismantlement of Iran’s capabilities, including the removal of all enriched uranium, as a non-negotiable condition for peace. While international watchdogs have historically overseen similar disarmament in other nations, Striker expresses deep skepticism that the current regime will ever voluntarily relinquish its w...

Andrew Cuomo interviews experts Seth Cropsey and Shay Khatiri regarding the geopolitical crisis involving Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. The dialogue highlights a critical military oversight where the United States allegedly underestimated the efficacy of low-cost drone technology and naval mines, opting instead for expensive, high-tech systems that failed to prevent a maritime blockade...

Andrew Cuomo and former Governor David Paterson engage in a critical dialogue regarding the current state of New York City’s leadership and governance. The speakers primarily focus on the perceived failure of the mayor, arguing that his administration prioritizes superficial slogans and ideological agendas over practical solutions for economic stability and public safety. Key themes include the al...

Andrew Cuomo interviews former Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro to critique the fiscal leadership of New York City’s current mayor, Zohran Mandani. Mastro argues that the mayor committed a rookie mistake by manufacturing a budget crisis to justify tax increases, a strategy that has damaged the city's credit ratings and alienated the City Council. The discussion highlights a role reversal in local politic...

Andrew Cuomo and Colonel Jack Jacobs regarding the geopolitical tension and potential military intervention in Iran under the Trump administration. The conversation centers on the logistical impossibility of a ground invasion to secure enriched uranium, with the Colonel arguing that boots on the ground would result in catastrophic casualties and an unsustainable expenditure of resources. Instead,...

Andrew Cuomo and former Governor David Paterson examine the essential balance of power between the executive and legislative branches, using Paterson’s historic use of executive authority as a model for leadership. Cuomo highlights Paterson’s decisive action in vetoing thousands of bills to demonstrate how a strong leader must maintain control over the legislature to ensure fiscal and administrati...

Former Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo evaluates the volatile political landscape of a projected 2026, critiquing what he views as a drift toward ideological extremism within the Democratic Party. Through a series of interviews, the program explores the power struggle between New York City’s executive leadership and a fiscally defiant City Council, framing the mayor’s reliance on symbolic socia...

Andrew Cuomo has on Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Jack Jacobs, the dialogue examines the strategic dysfunction within the American chain of command and the potential for a dangerous "ground assault" to secure oil-rich regions like Kharg Island. Jacobs warns that deploying troops would likely result in significant American casualties without achieving the primary objective of regime change, as I...

Andrew Cuomo has on nuclear policy expert Joseph Cirincione discuss the extreme logistical and military hurdles involved in seizing Iran’s enriched uranium to prevent the development of a nuclear weapon. Cirincione argues that a ground mission is practically impossible because the material is buried deep underground, protected by heavy fortifications, and located hundreds of miles inside hostile t...

Fmr. Gov. Andrew Cuomo critiques the current state of New York City and the nation, arguing that a dangerous culture of diminished expectations has led to the acceptance of urban decay and government incompetence. He addresses specific local failures, such as rising anti-Semitism, high taxation, and a perceived lack of public safety, while warning that a "negative status quo" is driving wealth and...

Andrew Cuomo critiques the current trajectory of New York politics and American foreign policy, framed by the looming April 1 state budget deadline. He argues that New York is suffering from a "tax the rich" ideology that perversely burdens the middle class and triggers a mass exodus of taxpayers to low-tax states. Shifting to international affairs, Cuomo consults experts to examine the futility o...

Joe Cirincione explains the strategic impossibility of permanently neutralizing Iran’s nuclear program through aerial bombardment alone. He details how Iran has secured its highly enriched uranium within deep underground facilities that are impervious to conventional explosives, making a military solution both physically difficult and politically risky. While the United States can achieve tactical...

Colonel Jack Jacobs argues that the administration relied on flawed assumptions, specifically expecting that military strikes would trigger a popular uprising against the theocracy and that control over the Strait of Hormuz could be easily maintained. The discussion highlights the disconnect between political rhetoric and the reality of a resilient Iranian military and rising global oil prices, su...