Former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio lands fall semester fellow gigs at Harvard



Former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio will be a fall semester visiting fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Menschel Senior Leadership fellow at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

"I am VERY optimistic about the generation of leaders and activists coming up. It will be a privilege to offer lessons I’ve learned through decades of public service. My key message to them: we CAN make bold progressive change. I know because I've lived it," de Blasio tweeted.

\u201cI am VERY optimistic about the generation of leaders and activists coming up. It will be a privilege to offer lessons I\u2019ve learned through decades of public service. My key message to them: we CAN make bold progressive change. I know because I\u2019ve lived it. https://t.co/AtbKY9CaZd\u201d
— Bill de Blasio (@Bill de Blasio) 1661360498

De Blasio, a Democrat, served as mayor of the Big Apple from 2014 through 2021. While still in office, he mounted an unsuccessful presidential bid in 2019, but then dropped out later that year.

Earlier this year, the former mayor announced that he would run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, but then he later dropped that bid as well.

\u201cIt\u2019s clear the people of #NY10 are looking for another option and I respect that. Time for me to leave electoral politics and focus on other ways to serve. I am really grateful for all the people I met, the stories I heard and the many good souls who helped out. Thank you all!\u201d
— Bill de Blasio (@Bill de Blasio) 1658251062

"It's exciting to spend time with really talented young people who are looking forward to going into public service," de Blasio said, according to the New York Times. "I hope I can inspire them, but also give them some real life understanding of what’s ahead and how to be effective."

De Blasio and the other fellows at the school of public health "will teach classes on leadership and public service, with a focus on navigating major challenges in public health," according to a post on the educational institution's website. "All three will also hold office hours and meet regularly with students and faculty."

A post about de Blasio's role as a visiting fellow at the Institute of Politics notes that he "will visit Harvard several times throughout the semester for a variety of discussions, events, and programming."

"I am happy to join the IOP to help inspire our nation’s next generation of leaders to find ways to serve in politics and public service, and to build a government that serves working people," de Blasio said in a statement.

Trump expertly trolls New York Democrats with resounding 'endorsements' — and their opponents quickly take the bait



Former President Donald Trump trolled New York Democrats on Wednesday by issuing "endorsements" of their congressional campaigns.

What did Trump say?

First, Trump issued a resounding "endorsement" of Daniel Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who is campaigning as a Democrat for New York's 10th Congressional District.

Interestingly, Goldman was lead majority counsel during both impeachment proceedings against Trump.

"It is my great honor to Strongly Endorse him," Trump said. "I do this not because of the fact that he headed up the Impeachment Committee and lost, but because he was honorable, fair, and highly intelligent. While it was my honor to beat him, and beat him badly, Dan Goldman has a wonderful future ahead."

Trump added that Goldman will be "very compassionate and compromising to those within the Republican Party."

Daniel Goldman sitting next to Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) at then-President Trump's first impeachment hearing in 2019. (Joshua Roberts - Pool/Getty Images)

Then Trump "endorsed" Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), who is campaigning against Rep. Jerry Nadler (D) for New York's redrawn 12th Congressional District.

"A vote for Carolyn Maloney in NY-12 is a vote for the future! She is a kind and wonderful person, who has always said terrific things about me, and will support me no matter what I do, just as I supported her very early on," Trump said. "She begged for a check with no quid pro quo, and I gave it to her. In fact, I gave her many."

The former president mocked Nadler for being "high energy, sharp, quick-witted, and bright."

"You can’t go wrong with either," Trump added, referring to Maloney and Nadler, "but Carolyn Maloney is the better man."

What was the response?

Goldman quickly responded to Trump's endorsement by rejecting it and insulting the former president.

"Last week Donald Trump attacked Dan Goldman, who led his impeachment. Now he’s pretending to endorse Goldman. True to form, Trump is trying to meddle in an election," the Goldman campaign said in a statement.

"This is a pathetic attempt at fooling Democrats who are far smarter than Trump is, and it’s clear that only one candidate in NY-10 is living rent-free in Trump's head. Buckle up Donald," the statement added. "Dan’s coming for you."

Maloney similarly rejected Trump's endorsement.

"This is laughable and I reject any endorsement from Donald Trump," Maloney tweeted. "Trump doesn’t respect women. He instigated the attacks on January 6th and claimed that the 2020 election was a big lie.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll pass," Maloney added.

However, multiple Democratic candidates seized on Trump's "endorsements" to tie their opponents to Trump.

"Donald Trump just endorsed my multi-millionaire opponent, in case you needed a reminder of what the stakes are. #NY10, choose your fighter," tweeted Yuh-Line Niou, who is running against Goldman for the Democratic nomination in New York's 10th district.

"Donald Trump is scared of a younger, more dynamic Democratic Party. He knows how much more effective a new generation of diverse, energetic Democrats will be in stopping his movement," reacted Suraj Patel, who is running against Maloney and Nadler in the 12th district.

Meanwhile, Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) repeatedly used Trump's statements against Goldman at a debate on Wednesday, the New York Times reported.

"Mr. Goldman is fulfilling Donald Trump’s vision of him being a moderate person who is attempting to defeat progressives in this race," Jones reportedly said.

Jones later described Goldman as "the first candidate on this stage to be endorsed by Donald J. Trump."

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