Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

De Blasio Doesn't See 'Logic' in Stringer's Plan to Counter Trump

By Jeff Mays | January 18, 2017 1:19pm
 Mayor Bill de Blasio said he didn't understand the reasoning behind criticism from possible mayoral candidate Scott Stringer that the city can best respond to the potential challenges posed by Trump administration policies by tackling issues such as homelessness and affordable housing.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said he didn't understand the reasoning behind criticism from possible mayoral candidate Scott Stringer that the city can best respond to the potential challenges posed by Trump administration policies by tackling issues such as homelessness and affordable housing.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Jeff Mays

NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Bill de Blasio doesn't understand the "logic" of how Comptroller Scott Stringer thinks the city should respond to challenges posed by the Trump administration.

Stringer, who's viewed as a possible challenger to de Blasio, took shots at the mayor during an event honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, saying the best way to beat Trump was to solve the city's homeless crisis and keep vacant property out of the hands of developers.

"I'm not sure I follow his logic a lot of the time," de Blasio said during an unrelated press conference in Queens, adding that he did not "necessarily see the connection" that Stringer was trying to make.

►READ MORE: Bill de Blasio's Foe In Reelection Bid? Donald Trump

"I think that the way we challenge Donald Trump is by continuing to make progress in this city and then working with mayors and other leaders all over the country to stop the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, to stop any policy that would try and institute stop and frisk as a policy nationwide, to stop our police forces from being turned into deportation forces," the mayor continued.

"There's a host of very specific things that I've laid out that are quintessential to stopping the extreme impulses of the Trump administration and that's the plan we're working on right now," he added.

De Blasio and Stringer have sparred on everything from the implementation of universal Pre-K to the city's efforts at dealing with record homelessness and the small number of minority and women owned businesses awarded city contracts.

Stringer continued that feud at a King event at Rev. Al Sharpton's Harlem headquarters on Monday, following up a speech the mayor made by criticizing his administration.

"First off, the way to beat Trump is you solve the homeless crisis in New York City. The way to beat Trump is to give 1,150 vacant properties in this town back to the people, not the developers," he added.

►READ MORE: Stringer Swipes at de Blasio Policies During MLK Speech at Sharpton HQ

De Blasio spokesman Eric Phillips called Stringer's remarks "political potshots from the cheap seats," on Monday.

Stringer spokesman Tyrone Stevens on Tuesday once again criticized de Blasio's approach to Trump.

“When it comes to tackling our homeless crisis, supporting women and minority owned businesses, and providing affordable housing that’s actually affordable, we don’t always follow the Mayor’s logic," said Stevens.

"But in the Trump era, we believe New York City will have to lead by example because too much is at stake," he continued. "What we should all be able to agree on, is that addressing these issues gets to the root of economic injustice. If we aren’t lifting all families up, if we aren’t supporting those who need us most, then we aren’t doing a good enough job in delivering equity and fairness to all."