New York Mayor Bill de Blasio says his characterization of Donald Trump as a blowhard belied the danger posed by the NYC real estate mogul and GOP presidential front-runner.
The mayor told WOR 710 AM today that “blowhard” was “really the wrong term to use, and it minimized the danger of what he’s saying.”
“And I quickly realized I had to change my language and start saying that what he’s doing is dangerous. And a lot of other voices have come to the same conclusion,” de Blasio said.
“Look, this country – you know, it’s a time of year when we think about our blessings – the blessing of this country. Every kind of people are welcome here – you know, the great nation of immigrants, a beacon to the world. I mean, this is what has worked. This is what’s made us great. And what has Trump done? He has systematically affronted one group after another – women, Mexican-Americans, Muslims – and then he started to say things that are positively un-American, like having Muslims on a list and not allowing people into the country based on a religion test,” he continued.
“I mean, just look at the Constitution. This goes against all our basic values. He’s now become dangerous, but I also think more and more people, including a lot of Republicans, are very, very concerned about what he’s saying, and more and more people are speaking out against it.”
And speaking of danger, de Blasio vowed “extraordinary” security around Times Square for the New Year’s Eve ball drop.
Belgian police today arrested two members of Muslim biker gang called the Kamikaze Riders in connection with a New Year’s Eve plot to strike Brussels’ Grand Place square as well as police and military facilities, according to CNN.
“I want everyone to understand and to hear that the NYPD is ready, that the preparations for New Year’s Eve are more extensive than ever,” de Blasio said in the radio interview. “I was at a what we call a table-top exercise at One Police Plaza yesterday. NYPD and all the other relevant agencies – FBI and all agencies sit at the table, go through the plans, go through different scenarios. The planning is extraordinary.”
“We’ll have a huge number of police out on New Year’s Eve, including a lot of our new anti-terror force, the Critical Response Command, that’s 500-plus officers we put into the budget back in June, who are specialized in preventing terror,” the mayor added. “So, this is the best prepared city in this country to stop terrorism, and people should rest assured that they will be very well protected on New Year’s Eve.”
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