New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio met with President-Elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower today, and afterwards, De Blasio told reporters that the meeting was respectful and substantive even if they still have substantial differences.
De Blasio said in a press conference that his job was to make clear to Donald Trump the fears of the people of New York City, saying it was important for the president-elect to hear what people are feeling and what the city’s experience has been like this past week. The mayor then detailed several specific points that he and Trump talked about, although he would not characterize how Trump responded.
First, De Blasio said that he talked to Trump about the importance of regulating Wall Street, specifically touching upon the dangers of repealing the Dodd-Frank Act.
Secondly, De Blasio said that he advised President-Elect Donald Trump not to pursue tax cuts for the wealthy and for corporations, as De Blasio said this would make it much more difficult to make investments in infrastructure.
Next, De Blasio said that he expressed concerns about Trump’s promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, saying that it is counterproductive to sow distrust between law enforcement and neighborhoods. He also said that New York City was built by generations of immigrants and that regardless of what Trump does, he will personally make sure that families are not torn apart.
De Blasio says he also talked to Trump about stop and frisk, a policy that Trump has supported; De Blasio said he told Trump that since New York City changed the policy, the city has gotten safer.
In terms of Trump’s position on the Muslim community, De Blasio said that he told Trump that there are over 900 Muslims in the New York Police Department protecting people every day and that Trump needs to show that Muslims are welcome in this country.
Finally, De Blasio said that he expressed to Trump the effect of what he characterized as the president-elect’s hurtful rhetoric, telling Trump that he must do more if he wants to country to heal.
De Blasio said that the ball is now in Trump’s court but that they both left the meeting open to continuing the dialogue in the future.