Former NY assemblyman says de Blasio is to blame for anti-Semitic attacks: You're the mayor... do your job
Former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind calls New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio 'childish' for insinuating that President Trump is to blame for the wave of anti-Semitic attacks.
Former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind was fired up on Monday after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio became the latest Democrat to blame President Trump for the spate of apparent hate crimes.
“First off, it’s an excuse. It’s childish. Being in elementary school or kindergarten, you’d blame someone else. He’s the mayor of the city of New York. He’s in charge,” Hikind told “Fox & Friends.”
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Hikind comments came after de Blasio blamed an "atmosphere of hate" for the recent increase in anti-Semitic attacks in his city and the surrounding areas, but in a Fox News interview, he passed at least some of the blame to the nation's capital.
Hikind said that Trump’s approval rating in Jewish communities such as Crown Heights, Williamsburg, Monsey and Barra Park is “above 90 percent.”
The mayor appeared to lay blame at the feet of Trump's administration.
"An atmosphere of hate has been developing in this country over the last few years. A lot of it is emanating from Washington and it's having an effect on all of us," he said.
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When asked if he was blaming Trump, he said, "not just the president," but said "we need a different tone, starting in Washington ... that encourages this country to actually find some unity and some common ground" that he does not think the country has had in recent years.
“How do you solve a problem if you refuse to acknowledge and deal with the problem? And that‘s exactly what the mayor is doing,” Hikind said.
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Hikind asserted that de Blasio blaming the president is “dishonest” and “playing to the base.”
“He’s more interested in politics than he is in terms of dealing with the hate,” Hikind said.
Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.
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