New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said Thursday on MSNBC that President Donald Trump’s threat to stop federal funding to his city was “blatantly unconstitutional.”
The president on Tuesday called for a review of all federal funds provided to Seattle, Portland, New York City and Washington, D.C., saying, “it is imperative that the federal government review the use of federal funds by jurisdictions that permit anarchy, violence, and destruction in America’s cities.”
De Blasio said, “Well, it’s certainly a political campaign stunt. It’s not about governing. It’s not about helping New York City or any other city. I mean, I have talked to the president multiple times, and I asked him for testing for this city, never got it. I asked him for stimulus to help us get on our feet, never got it. I asked him to be clearer about what we needed to do to stay healthy and give the right message to people in this country, never heard it.”
He added, “This is about politics. He’s using this as a campaign ploy, but it’s just blatantly unconstitutional, what he’s saying. The president doesn’t have the right to subvert what the Congress already decided in terms of a budget. That’s in the Constitution. The Congress decides that. So he’s going to find out that, you know, either he’ll try it and then we’ll go to court and beat him or like so many of his other blustery threats or he’s going let it go and hope people forget about it.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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