New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called out Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump for saying that support for his campaign would not wane even if he shot someone in the middle of a crowded street.
At a campaign rally in Sioux Center, Iowa, Mr. Trump said, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.”
“It’s incredibly insensitive,” Mr. de Blasio said on ABC’s “This Week.” “We had a moment in our nation’s history we’re talking about how to deal with the scourge of gun violence. And for someone who says he wants to be president to say that, it shows he’s just not presidential.”
“And it’s incredibly arrogant, too, of him to suggest that his voters will be with him no matter what he does,” said Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat. “You know, this is another indicator that Donald Trump is not ready for prime time.”
Mr. Trump often has pointed to his loyal supporters as a point of pride for his campaign, and many of his supporters have been vocal to the press about their devotion to the flamboyant billionaire real estate developer.
Mr. de Blasio also said that too much power is in the hands of billionaires in the country, a reaction to the possibility of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg getting into the presidential race as an independent candidate.
“I respect my predecessor for sure,” he said. “but two things, I’d say. One, my candidate is Hillary Clinton, and I really believe she will be the next president of the United States.”
“And the second thing is, I don’t think the people of this country want to give more power to billionaires at this point. I think that’s what this election increasingly is about, how do we address income inequality,” Mr. de Blasio said. “How do we restore the middle class? I don’t think most Americans think that billionaires are the ones who are going to help give us a more fair economy.”
• Anjali Shastry can be reached at ashastry@washingtontimes.com.
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