Bernard Kerik rips Cuomo's inaction as riots raged: 'New York City is burning ... where are you?'

close

Video

Bernard Kerik on Mayor de Blasio, Gov. Cuomo's failure to protect New York City from looters

Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik joins Tucker Carlson on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.'

Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday to step up and take control of the rioting and looting in New York City instead of shifting the blame to New York City's "incompetent" Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"He [Cuomo] specifically criticized the NYPD," Kerik told "Tucker Carlson Tonight."  "Well, if the NYPD was not doing their job, and the mayor is not doing his job, New York City is burning. Where are you? Where is the New York state police?

"Why weren’t you involved from the beginning? What are you doing other than talking?" Kerik went on. "This isn’t a competition for criticism. We already know that de Blasio is incompetent, in my opinion. We know he is a super left-wing radical. We know he sympathizes with a number of these protesters..."

CUOMO SLAMS DE BLASIO'S HANDLING OF RIOTS

Kerik was reacting to Cuomo's statement earlier Tuesday in which he called de Blasio's handling of the crisis a "disgrace" and noted that he has the power to "displace" the mayor -- although he says hedoesn't want to at this point.

As New York faces another night of upheaval despite an 8 p.m. curfew, Kerik told Carlson that he supports legitimate protests, but added that "the second peaceful protesting becomes violent, the second, the protest is over.

"Everybody has got to go, and law enforcement, the police department has to do everything in their power to move them or lock them up."

Video

Shifting his focus to the mainstream media's coverage of racially charged incidents involving the police, Kerik defended law enforcement, and blamed left-leaning media outlets for misrepresenting the frequency of such occurrences.

"I will give you a set of numbers that the mainstream media refuses to listen to or look at," Kerik told Carlson, rattling off figures compiled by The Washington Post.

LIVE UPDATES: PROTESTS CONTINUE ACROSS AMERICA IN WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD DEATH

"Police officers were involved in fatal shootings 1,004 times," explained Kerik. "Forty-one of those were unarmed people. The police shot unarmed people. If you listen to the rhetoric, 'every one of those people were black.' You know what? That is a lie. That is completely false. It is not true.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"Nineteen white people, unarmed, were shot and killed by the police last year. Nine were black. You know what? Everybody is talking about the blacks that were unarmed and killed by the police, 'that number is systemic. It is outrageous! It is insane! 'There were 89 cops killed in this country in the line of duty last year," Kerik concluded. "Nobody is talking about them."