Fox News host Maria Bartiromo confronted Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday about whether he was “using” the ongoing coronavirus pandemic to “take us into socialism.”
The “Sunday Morning Futures” exchange came after de Blasio explained how New York City would need “the support of the federal government” to get through the crisis.
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“There’s no question in my mind, we must have the support of the federal government to do this, because, right now, to be able to have a strong economy again and really restart, we have to be able to provide the basic services that have made this place work, police, fire, sanitation, health care, education,” de Blasio said before describing over $10 billion in combined lost tax revenue and new expenses linked to the coronavirus fight.
“The federal government must make us whole for us to be able to be in a position to restart,” he continued. “If we’re not whole, if New York City is not whole, it will drag down the entire region, and it will hold up the entire national economic restart.”
When asked how much, the New York City mayor specified $7.4 billion, or all “lost revenue,” then compared his city’s situation to the government bailing out the airline industry.
“Let me ask you this,” said Bartiromo. “Are you using this crisis to take us into socialism?”
“Oh, Maria,” de Blasio responded before the Fox News host jumped back in to offer some clarification with one of de Blasio’s own quotes.
“I just saw you on the press conference, and you said this: ‘The bigger picture, a fair recovery for all, confront structural, economic and racial inequalities,'” she pressed. “Are you looking to change things that have nothing to do with the coronavirus and were not impacted by that, Mr. Mayor?” (RELATED: Talk To Kids About Socialism Or Someone Else Will, Rachel Campos-Duffy Warns)
“Maria, I’m looking to go at the very things that the coronavirus has dredged up,” he responded. “And have we seen it all over the country. There are vast health care disparities that have come up that must be addressed for the good of all us of us. It’s the right thing to do, but also to have a strong, healthy society.”
De Blasio ended his response by reiterating his city’s need to recoup the “missing $7.4 billion” from the federal government.
