Bill De Blasio, Democratic mayor of New York City, warned President-elect Trump on Wednesday against pursuing policies that might marginalize people in his city.
Speaking to reporters outside Trump Tower, where he met privately with Trump earlier in the day, de Blasio said he told Trump he was worried about some of his campaign rhetoric.
“I thought it was very important, particularly as the president-elect begins his transition, for him to hear the voices of the people and to get some perspective from outside the transition bubble, to understand what’s being said in the streets and subways of our city and why people are so deeply concerned,” de Blasio said.
“I talked to him about concerns about proposed deportations,” he continued. “I gave him the perspective of the [New York Police Department], that any initiative that would create a rift between our police all over the country and the communities they serve that would make it impossible for police and communities to communicate, that would sow distrust between law enforcement and neighborhood, would be counterproductive.”
De Blasio cautioned Trump against taking actions that would intimidate Muslims on the police force and in the community, and said some of Trump’s rhetoric has been “hurtful.”
“I told him that we were very concerned, that we had to show all New Yorkers — including Muslim New Yorkers — that they were welcome, and that exclusionary policies would undermine our ability to create unity,” he said.
New York City has been home to nightly protests against the president-elect as Democrats around the country continue to demonstrate their displeasure with the outcome of the election. De Blasio, who was a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton during the presidential race, indicated he would be willing to meet with Trump again if the need arose.
“I left the meeting with the door open for more dialogue,” de Blasio said. “This is a conversation that will continue.”
