He's baaaaack: Failed 2020 candidate and despised NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio is running for Congress



After teasing his plans earlier this week, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is officially running for Congress.

De Blasio announced on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Friday that he is running in the Democratic primary for a newly drawn congressional district representing parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

"Polls show people are hurting. They need help, they need help fast, and they need leaders who could actually get them help now and know how to do it,” the failed 2020 presidential candidate said.

“I do know how to do it from years of serving the people of this city, and so today I’m declaring my candidacy for Congress in the 10th Congressional District of New York,” he continued. “And I want to tell you, what people need is exactly the kinds of things that I focused on before: money back in their pocket. We did that. We reduced income inequality.”

De Blasio declared his candidacy days after the New York Post reported that he was making calls to party officials and inquiring about launching a challenge to former Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.). On Wednesday, he tweeted that he had formed an exploratory committee for the new 10th Congressional District of New York, which represents the East Village, West Village, SoHo, Tribeca, the Financial District, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, and Borough Park.

Our neighborhoods need help as we recover from Covid. Our nation needs help as democracy is threatened and working people struggle. I am ready to serve to continue the fight against inequality. Today I am forming an Exploratory Committee for the new #NY10.http://BilldeBlasio.com
— Bill de Blasio (@Bill de Blasio) 1652891275

Court-appointed special master John Cervas drew a new map of New York's congressional districts after the state's highest court ruled that the Democratic-controlled legislature had illegally gerrymandered to reduce the number of competitive districts. In the Cervas map, the 10th will be a heavily Democratic district, ensuring that whoever wins the primary will in all likelihood be elected to Congress.

De Blasio served as New York City mayor from 2014 to 2021 and was term-limited from running for mayor again. A far-left progressive and communist sympathizer, he left office in December with high disapproval ratings, rising crime, and a tense relationship with the NYPD. He briefly ran for president in the 2020 Democratic primary but dropped out after receiving zero percent in several straw polls.

On "Morning Joe," De Blasio took credit for enacting a universal pre-K progam and "having led this city out of the worst of the COVID crisis."

“I’m ready right now to serve and address the issues that are so deep in communities in Brooklyn and Manhattan and I just wanted to come here, a place that I cherish and with you who’ve been such good friends to tell you this is the next step,” he said. “And I want to serve the people of the community that is my home and that I love.”

Breaking: @BilldeBlasio announces his run for Congresspic.twitter.com/3LXkcImS0w
— Morning Joe (@Morning Joe) 1653054001

'How the f*** is this a real thing': Joe Rogan, others blast Mayor Bill de Blasio for video pushing NYC arts while city collapses



Popular podcaster Joe Rogan and other cultural commentators blasted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio over a video touting the arts and culture — featuring mask-wearing dancers doing interpretive jumps on a street, no less — while the city continues to collapse under the weight of several factors, most notably the coronavirus.

What are the details?

First, check out the video:

The whole world is a stage, so we’re bringing live performances BACK to New York City! Our streets will be filled w… https://t.co/3Jz8xRsouO
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYC Mayor's Office)1613363175.0

While the dancers do their thing, de Blasio explains that "if we really want to bring back the heart and soul of New York City, we need our arts and culture back, and we need people to see it and feel it, to participate in it" — and for folks to know that the "essence of New York City has not been defeated by the coronavirus."

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @NYCMayorsOffice

Enter the Open Culture program, which is designating 115 street locations in all five boroughs that will give artists a chance to showcase their talents, the clip said.

"Our cultural community is our conscience, our cultural community is our hope and identity as New Yorkers," de Blasio concluded.

'How the f*** is this a real thing'

The Sunday video is getting thoroughly ratioed, having received more than 3,000 comments compared to just over 900 likes as of Tuesday afternoon. And regarding reactions to the clip, it appears that the vast majority of commenters were turned off it.

Rogan didn't mess around, tweeting simply, "How the f*** is this a real thing."

Other notable commentators shared similar reactions:

  • "NYC is now Portlandia," Dave Rubin observed. "If you haven't already, you must flee as soon as possible."
  • "Sane New Yorkers are already leaving for FL," the Daily Wire's Ben Shapiro declared.
  • Kyle Kashuv responded in this way: "New Yorkers: 'Pls my family is starving. I can't pay rent'; De Blasio: 'Here's some funding for ballerinas doing dances.'"
  • "@NYCMayor Bill de Blasio has utterly destroyed New York City businesses and forced people out of the city in droves," Young Americans for Liberty tweeted. "And his solution is a government-funded dance party. If you haven't fled yet… run."
  • "I've said New York City was over for two decades now," conservative author and security expert David Reaboi replied. "Finally, the mayor's office all but admits it."
  • "The NYPD is defunded, people are dying from increased crime rates, @BilldeBlasio targets for harassment Jewish communities, he has destroyed small business and restaurants in the city — and all he does is promote interpretive dance..." author and retired defense department operative Tony Shaffer said. "De Blasio needs to be recalled."

Forget the indoor dining ban — Mayor de Blasio is threatening a 'full shutdown' in New York City



New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said Monday that he is prepared to see the government go beyond the governor's recent shutdown of indoor dining in the city and threatened that there could be a full citywide lockdown in the near future.

What's happening in New York?

New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared that all of New York City's indoor dining would be shut down effective Monday.

Cuomo made the move despite the fact that, according to his own slide presentation during the shutdown announcement, restaurants and bars accounted for less than 1.5% of the share of exposure to COVID-19.

De Blasio made an appearance on CNN's "New Day" Monday to discuss COVID-19 shutdowns and vaccines. During the interview, host Alisyn Camerota confronted the mayor about closing restaurants.

"Is it possible that closing restaurants isn't going to do what you hope it will?" Camerota asked.

De Blasio, naturally, didn't shy away from the restaurant shutdown edict, though he claimed, "I feel for these restaurant owners," and lauded the new "permanent" outdoor dining. But then he went on to think it's time to be "ready" for a full shutdown — which, of course, would mean that the outdoor dining the mayor just touted would be closed, too.

Citing growing numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations and the need to "protect people's lives," he declared "you've got to start shutting down the most sensitive areas." He went on to echo Cuomo's recent statements that a "larger shutdown" could be on the way in the Big Apple and that it's something the city's residents should be "ready for in the coming weeks."

Camerota didn't let the mayor's statement slide by. She pushed back on de Blasio's assertion that the "most sensitive places" should include restaurants.

"On balance, maybe it would be more important to protect people's livelihood and paychecks" than shut down places that contribute to only 1.43% of the spread, she said.

The mayor responded that "unfortunately, this is just one of a number of steps that, I think, are going to be needed."

"There's going to be more restrictions after this," he warned.

Camerota asked him what other kinds restrictions he had in mind.

"A full shutdown," de Blasio said, noting that it's time to stop the virus' momentum.

"I think, Alisyn, you're talking about the potential — and again, I'm quoting from Gov. Cuomo, and I think he's right — there's the potential of having to do a full pause, a full shutdown in the coming weeks," he said, noting how the city fought back against the virus in the spring and needed to do it again.

"We're seeing the kind of level of infection with the coronavirus we haven't seen since May, and we have got to stop that momentum — or else, our hospital system will be threatened," the mayor continued.

According to de Blasio, "That's worth putting restrictions in place for."

Hizzoner made it clear by the end of the segment that a shutdown would not be targeted — it would be "across the board."

After halting indoor dining due to a surge in Covid-19 cases, Mayor @BilldeBlasio said New York City could see a “f… https://t.co/Cn9lLqdMfh
— New Day (@New Day)1607954302.0