May 16, 2019

Most New Yorkers Don’t Want de Blasio to Run. He’s Doing It Anyway.

The New York mayor claims he’s beaten Trump before—and he’s the right man to do it again.

Michael Brochstein/ZUMA

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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio officially announced on Thursday that he’s running for president, becoming the 23rd person to enter the crowded field of Democratic candidates hoping to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020.

He did so even though three-quarters of his own constituents, former staff members included, advise against such a bid. According to one NY1 reporter stationed outside Gracie Mansion, the same pleas trailed de Blasio all the way up to his launch Thursday morning.

In a video kicking off his campaign, the two-term Democratic mayor positioned himself as a progressive leader with a track record of fighting for working-class families in the country’s largest city, along with the personal experience required to take on Trump. He says in the three-minute clip: “I’m a New Yorker. I’ve known Trump’s a bully for a long time.”

“Donald Trump must be stopped,” de Blasio continues. “I’ve beaten him before, and I will do it again.”

The president dismissed de Blasio’s announcement, declaring on Twitter that “NYC HATES HIM!” While the sentiment might not be quite as strong as Trump claimed, de Blasio’s decision attracted predictable groans on social media:

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With just 3 days left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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