New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio laughed off the ridicule he’s faced on late-night since announcing his 2020 presidential bid, saying he’s faced way worse while running the “toughest city in America.”
During an appearance on CNN’s “New Day” Tuesday morning, Mr. De Blasio was presented with footage from comedians Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert cracking jokes about the mayor.
Mr. De Blasio shrugged it off, saying, “That’s what they do for a living, it’s normal.”
CNN host Alisyn Camerota pointed out that the reaction to the mayor’s announcement has been “particularly scathing” and “brutal” compared to his Democratic rivals, pulling out a copy of The New York Post from last week that had a cover page showing people laughing at the mayor’s announcement. But while the mockery of Mr. De Blasio’s presidential run has been widely shared on both the left and right, the mayor suggested that the derision from the right was politically driven.
“Fox News and New York Post, you’re going to get a definite reaction because I have challenged them plenty of times,” he said.
“Fair enough, but did you think that pundits and late-night comics were a little more scathing about your [2020 announcement]?,” Ms. Camerota asked.
Mr. De Blasio, who is running against nearly two dozen Democrats in the 2020 presidential primary, said his experience as mayor of the “largest, toughest city in America” will set him apart from his rivals.
“To me, that’s like a walk in the park,” he said of the ridicule. “I didn’t even notice that because I deal with really tough issues every single day. I deal with the toughest press corps in America. I deal with, unfortunately, we’re the No. 1 terror target in America. Late-night comics don’t bother me. I’m here because I want to put working people first. We have big changes we have to make in this country.
“Criticism, that’s part of life in New York City,” he added. “But you gotta be tough enough to handle it and you gotta be tough enough to take on another New Yorker, Donald Trump, who doesn’t play fair, who likes to get really low with people. But if you’re not tough enough to fight back you’re not going to win. I call him ’Con Don’ because he’s a conman — I’ve watched him for decades, I know his games, I know his tricks, I know how to beat him. I think a New Yorker is exactly right to take on the New Yorker in the White House who has to go.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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