Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is nearing the end of his tenure, called his walks amid the coronavirus pandemic “the thing that makes people upset,” hinting at it being his only “sin,” a Wednesday report says.
De Blasio took aim at the candidates in the NYC mayoral race, describing their performance during the final mayoral debate as a “bad high school debate,” in an interview with Politico.
As voters ready to pick his successor, Bill de Blasio reflects on his legacy and his relationship with a city that loves to hate him https://t.co/a7mvJkkUzt
— POLITICO (@politico) June 22, 2021
“It was just so petty. It was like, is this really healthy? Is this really as good as it gets?” he said of the debate. (RELATED: Bill De Blasio’s Endorsement For Any Mayoral Candidate Could Bury Their Chances 6 Feet Below, Poll Says)
“I mean, the folks who are corrupt, and the folks who really are not in it to help people, go get ’em. But there’s a lot of decent people. And don’t try and like find things that aren’t there,” de Blasio added, apparently contrasting himself with the candidates.
He then proceeded to lament the public’s reaction to his long mid-day strolls during the pandemic.
“So if my sin is, I go for walks, I’m like, really? Think about that! The thing that makes people upset is [me] going for walks,” the outgoing mayor complained.
A piece published by the New York Post in October 2020 blasted de Blasio for repeatedly walking off the job to go on walks, despite the deep crisis in which the city grappling with the outbreak was.
The track record of the mayor has more than just walks that could “upset” city residents, including confusing school reopening plans, his feud with Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a recent worrisome spike in crime rate, according to Politico.