CITY HALL — The hacked emails from Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta call Mayor Bill de Blasio a "terrorist" for declining to endorse his former boss and refer to him as a "bit insufferable."
But despite the vitriol directed at the mayor — which has leaked out day by day as WikiLeaks publishes more of Podesta's stolen emails — de Blasio says there won't be any lingering effect on his relationship with Washington, D.C., should Clinton be elected president.
"I think Hillary Clinton cares so deeply for New York City and New York State," said de Blasio.
►READ MORE: Mayor Says 'Heat of Battle' Caused Clinton Camp to Call Him 'Terrorist'
The mayor, who campaigned for Clinton, has said he was working on behalf of his fellow Democrat because her victory would mean progress on issues that matter to New York City such as infrastructure funding and immigration reform.
A Clinton victory "helps us change the trajectory of the country and the federal government" and helps "New York City in a very big and very material way," the mayor said in explaining a recent campaign trip to Michigan.
The mayor ran Clinton's 2000 campaign for the U.S. Senate and the former secretary of state and former president Bill Clinton attended de Blasio's inauguration.
But after Clinton announced her plans to run for president, de Blasio refused to endorse her for nearly six months as other New York politicians such as Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Sen. Chuck Schumer did, saying that he wanted to see a more "progressive vision" from her.
The mayor and his wife Chirlane McCray set up their own group called the Progressive Agenda Committee and launched a failed bid to host a presidential forum on progressive issues in Iowa.
The Podesta emails show Clinton's camp had no interest in the committee or some of its goals, such as a $15 per hour minimum wage, and that Clinton's camp was wary of de Blasio and angry that he was refusing to endorse her.
When Clinton's campaign was having issues with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Podesta wrote in June 2015 to top Clinton aide Huma Abedin that Garcetti should be added "to the BdB file."
"Adding to the list! What is the deal with mayors these days," Abedin replied.
Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, advised Podesta to ignore de Blasio's Progressive Agenda Committee.
"Politically, we are not getting any pressure to join this from our end. I leave it to you guys to judge what that means for you. But I’m not sweating it," Tanden said.
After de Blasio reported to Tanden, Podesta and Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook that he had praised Clinton during an appearance on "Morning Joe" and would "spend the next year and a half battling conservatives at every turn," Tanden said she found the mayor to be annoying.
"I find him a bit insufferable. Sorry if I let my extreme annoyance show," Tanden wrote to Podesta.
De Blasio joked Wednesday that he was "crushed" to hear about the emails.
"When you are nudging your friends to go farther sometimes people push back or find that unpleasant," de Blasio said.
The mayor said he goes "back a long way" with Clinton and her inner circle.
►READ MORE: De Blasio Kept at Arm's Length by the Clinton Campaign, Emails Show
"I consider them all friends. I consider them all people who are on the side of the angels and I have worked with and supported in a lot of ways," the mayor added. "We're going to have disagreements. It's natural, It's normal."
De Blasio reiterated that he had no regrets about trying to push Clinton to the left. Ultimately, it was Vermont senator and former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders who is credited with challenging Clinton on progressive issues.
"I want to see a very bold approach to addressing economic inequality. Some people like that more, some people like that less," said de Blasio
"There's no question about the depth of the relationship and there's certainly no question about Hillary's commitment to New York," he added.
