New York City mayor tells Trump 'how much fear there is'

Record ID: 78778

  • Title: New York City mayor tells Trump 'how much fear there is'
  • Date: 16th November 2016
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 16, 2016) (REUTERS) TRUMP TOWER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO WALKING UP TO MICROPHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR, SAYING: "Good afternoon everyone. I just met with President-elect Trump and the purpose of the meeting was for me to assert to him the concerns and the needs of all New Yorkers. My job as mayor is to be their voice and to give him perspective on what New Yorkers are feeling right now, what their concerns are, what their fears are." DE BLASIO AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR, SAYING: "Look, I obviously supported another candidate and she won the popular vote substantially as we all now know, but my job as mayor of New York City is to work with the president-elect while maintaining very clearly my beliefs and what I think is in the interest of the people of this city. There still has to be a dialogue under any situation. It was a 62-minute meeting so clearly there was a lot of give and take. But the proof will be in the pudding." DE BLASIO AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR, SAYING: "Part of why I think it's so important to remind the president-elect and his team that there are deep fears and concerns out there, is because the wrong messages can encourage hateful acts. So I certainly made clear that I think sending a message of unity is crucial." DE BLASIO SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR, SAYING: "I can simultaneously have my own beliefs and my own concerns but be ready to work with the president-elect on the issue of infrastructure because it would have a hugely positive impact on millions of New Yorkers, and hopefully put a lot of people back to work. So that's one area where if these plans are consistent, it's certainly an area where we can try to work together. But again, I think the right way to start a relationship is to put your cards on the table, and all of these other concerns are being felt by New Yorkers very deeply right now. I tried to express to him how much fear there is, how much fear there is in communities all over this city. A whole range of people in the biggest city in the country who are fearful about this current dynamic." DE BLASIO LISTENING TO QUESTION
  • Embargoed: 1st December 2016 19:43
  • Keywords: Donald Trump Bill de Blasio New York election
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • City: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA00158P3OLJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio spent an hour with President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday (November 16), time that de Blasio said he used to push his views on Wall Street regulation, taxes and the rights of racial and religious minorities.
    De Blasio, who supported fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton over the Republican Trump in last week's election, said the two men had a candid and substantive discussion inside Trump's skyscraper headquarters.
    "I tried to express to him how much fear there is, how much fear there is in communities all over this city," the mayor told reporters outside Trump Tower.
    New York historically has been a city filled with immigrants. According to census data, 37 percent of New York City's 8.6 million residents are foreign-born, far above the national figure of 13 percent.
    De Blasio said he told the president-elect that immigrant families should not be torn apart by deportations, and that the police tactic - supported by Trump - of stopping and searching people on the street can create a wedge between minorities and law enforcement.
    "I think it's so important to remind the president-elect and his team that there are deep fears and concerns out there, is because the wrong messages can encourage hateful acts," said de Blasio.
    Trump was elected after a campaign in which he called for the deportation of all of the estimated 11 million immigrants in the United States illegally. Trump said in a TV interview aired on Sunday that his priority was to remove up to 3 million immigrants who have criminal records or are gang members or drug dealers, and would decide on the others after the U.S. border is secured.
    The New York Police Department has 900 officers who are Muslim, de Blasio said he told Trump.
    The mayor declined to say what Trump's responses had been.
    Trump considered the meeting to be productive, his campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said separately.
    De Blasio said he spoke about the importance of tough banking regulations and of tax cuts that do not favor the wealthy. Trump has promised a "dismantling" of the Democratic-backed 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law enacted following the financial crisis, but has given few details, and has promised deep tax cuts.
    Trump said during the campaign he would rebuild America's infrastructure including highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools and hospitals.
    The mayor expressed some optimism that Trump would follow through on a campaign pledge to spend more on infrastructure.
    "It would have a hugely positive impact on millions of New Yorkers, and hopefully put a lot of people back to work," de Blasio said.
    Trump grew up in the New York City borough of Queens and still makes Manhattan his primary residence. Trump has not said whether he will continue to live part-time in the largest U.S. city even after he takes office on Jan. 20.
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