Anthony Weiner says voters don't want what 'Democrats are selling,' talks about comeback as fiery centrist

Infamous ex-New York congressman Anthony Weiner argued in a new profile about his latest political comeback effort that there is a "disconnect" between New York Democrats’ brand and what voters actually want.

Weiner launched a campaign for New York City Council, a position he held from 1992 to 1998, in December. Weiner was elected to represent New York's 9th Congressional District in 1998 and resigned in 2011 after he posted a photo of himself in his underwear on social media and initially lied about it. The incident was followed by years of sexting scandals, including one that derailed his 2013 New York City mayoral bid, and Weiner was charged with transferring obscene material to a minor in May 2017 after sexting a 15-year-old girl, leading to a prison sentence.

The Atlantic’s Josh Tyrangiel, who lives in the Manhattan district Weiner hopes to represent, interviewed the disgraced politician about his return to the campaign trail. 

"Weirdly, the biggest obstacle to Weiner’s comeback may be not his past, but his politics," The Atlantic writer said. "He’s lived in District 2 since 2011, but it’s far from the mostly white, middle-class parts of Queens and Brooklyn he represented as a congressman. Every District 2 council member since the early 1990s has been Hispanic. Just 8 percent of the district’s 175,000 residents are registered Republicans. Fresh Defund the Police graffiti appears regularly. Our rats share their pronouns."

Former congressman Anthony Weiner seen on Times Square promoting public art. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

ANTHONY WEINER MULLS RETURN: DISGRACED EX-POL SAYS NEW YORK CITY NEEDS NEW LEADERSHIP

Weiner, described by Tyrangiel as a centrist who "thinks the neighborhood needs more cops and fewer pot shops," argued that local Democrats are misguided.

"If this election is about the most anti-Trump, crazy-making person on the left, you’re not going to pick a [Andrew] Cuomo or a Weiner," Weiner said. "Now, I could be completely wrong, but there seems to be a disconnect with the brand that New York Democrats are selling and what people want to buy right now."

When asked what evidence he has to believe this, Weiner replied, "I’m in New York with a head on my shoulders seeing what’s going on on 14th Street."

Tyrangiel summarized that Weiner’s campaign is focused around two core assumptions, the first of which is the importance of quality of life issues, like addressing subway-fare evasion, sidewalk scaffolding and the recent proliferation of "missile-like E-bikes in bike lanes." The writer observed, "Technocratic intolerance for disorder was last a thing in New York City during the Bloomberg administration, but it’s hardly novel."

Anthony Weiner, a former Democratic congressman leaves Federal Court in New York September 25, 2017 after being sentenced for sexting with a 15-year-old girl. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

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The second assumption, Tyrangiel said, is that, "Given Democrats’ generally foul mood, it’s not enough to be moderate. To reach the electorate, moderates must also be angry."

"You know, usually we associate firebrands with an extreme kind of thing," Weiner said. "Well, what if the fire is just, like, Ya gotta collect the f---ing garbage, man?"

One key aspect Tyrangiel observed from watching the candidate at forums and Zoom meetings is that Weiner is locking horns not just on the issues, but with core constituency groups within his own party. When a union representing medical residents and interns spoke about building more housing near hospitals, Weiner retorted, "Am I going to do that for the firefighters also? Am I going to do that for the guys who work in the sanitation department? You tell me how you expect this to work."

The Atlantic writer also noted another exchange where Weiner shredded progressive orthodoxy on homelessness. 

During one part of the interview, Weiner argued there is a certain authenticity in disagreeing with voters: "Sometimes they actually kind of like it when you say, ‘F--- me? F--- you.’ That's more of an acknowledgment that you’re actually listening to them than just saying ‘Yes, I agree.’"

Former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner (right) and his ex-wife Huma Abedin divorced earlier this year. (Getty)

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In the profile, Weiner revealed he was a sex addict. He and his ex-wife Huma Abedin separated in 2016 and officially divorced earlier this year. Abedin, who was a top aide to Hillary Clinton, is now dating billionaire Democratic megadonor Alex Soros.

Fox News’ Deirdre Heavey, Andrew Mark Miller, and Cameron Cawthorne contributed to this report.