'He is a JOKE': Trump blasts Bill de Blasio's 2020 bid
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President Trump on Thursday weighed in on the latest candidate to jump into the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“The Dems are getting another beauty to join their group,” the president tweeted. “Bill de Blasio of NYC, considered the worst mayor in the U.S., will supposedly be making an announcement for president today. He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, he’s your man. NYC HATES HIM!”
Trump’s tweet came an hour after de Blasio announced his presidential candidacy in a three-minute video showcasing his experience as mayor of New York City — a record, he stressed, that included taking on the Trump administration. On ABC’s “Good Morning America,” de Blasio blasted the president, a fellow New Yorker.
"Every New Yorker knows he's a con artist...I know how to take him on I've been watching him on for decades." New York Mayor @BilldeBlasio speaks on Trump and says he will fight for working class people. https://t.co/ZAfIgoKQBL pic.twitter.com/cvx00hSQm8
— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 16, 2019
“Donald Trump is playing a big con on America,” de Blasio said. “I call him Con Don. Every New Yorker knows he’s a con artist. We know his tricks. We know his playbook. I know how to take him on. I’ve been watching him for decades. He’s trying to convince working Americans he’s on their side. It’s been a lie from day one.”
The announcement of de Blasio’s bid follows months of flirtation on the part of the mayor, whose constituents did not appear to be urging him to run. A Quinnipiac poll conducted last month found that 76 percent of New York City voters thought de Blasio should not hit the campaign trail. Just 18 percent supported his candidacy. The mayor’s job approval rating, 42 percent, was described by Quinnipiac pollsters as “anemic.”
[Critics say de Blasio's presidential aspirations are delusional. Can he prove them wrong?]
During de Blasio’s “GMA” interview, protesters chanting “liar” could be heard through the glass at the morning show’s Times Square studio.
He is set to head to Iowa on Friday and then South Carolina over the weekend.
De Blasio responded to Trump's tweet by touting his record.
NYC has record low crime & record high jobs. We’re investing in working families with free Pre-K & guaranteed health care. #ConDon taking advantage of working families is no joke. Go to https://t.co/c8cqaL8B7l to join our campaign. As President, I’ll put working people first. https://t.co/QcbOiJmMxl
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) May 16, 2019
Trump and de Blasio have taken a number of swings at each other before.
"Can you believe the worst Mayor in the U.S., & probably the worst Mayor in the history of #NYC, @BilldeBlasio, just called me a blow hard!" Trump exclaimed in November 2015.
"We're stuck with the worst mayor in the United States," he added the next day. "Too bad, but New York City will survive!"
[Who’s running for president? Click here for Yahoo News’ 2020 tracker]
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