New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had no sooner pretended to be a defender of the press before he got his security to physically remove a reporter asking him a question at a news event.
“I believe in a free, strong media with diverse views — I’ll defend it with all I’ve got,” the Democratic mayor declared Sunday on CNN’s “Reliable Sources.”
Just a few hours later at the start of the Dominican Day Parade in Manhattan, the mayor stood by and watched as two members of his New York Police Department security detail approached a credentialed New York Post reporter who dared to ask him a question as he posed for pictures.
Kevin Sheehan asked de Blasio about a New York Post front page story titled “City For Sale” in which the mayor’s alleged frequent meetings with lobbyists was under fire. The mayor made no attempt to answer, or even decline to answer, when suddenly Sheehan was confronted.
My first solo wood for the New York Post! Top de Blasio officials took 136 meetings with lobbyists in just 54 days this spring https://t.co/IDVb70KtBj pic.twitter.com/zySRBMoUsJ
— Anna Sanders (@AnnaESanders) August 12, 2018
“Kevin, you have to leave. You can’t be here,” one of the police officers said as the reporter, who was wearing a police-issued press pass was led away.
Bill de Blasio’s attack on NewsCorp is undignified and undemocratic. When an elected official — ANY elected official — attacks the press, we should ALL be deeply concerned. https://t.co/ugOSTtAjVn
— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) August 8, 2018
Along with the other security officer, the pair led Sheehan about a half-block away, where a member of the NYPD’s public information office, Officer Brian Magoolaghan, told him, “Come on, Kevin. No stunts today.”
De Blasio lets security haul away Post reporter for asking question https://t.co/giUqNAF5oK pic.twitter.com/GpBtVBi331
— New York Post (@nypost) August 13, 2018
Of course, this incident comes in the wake of heavy backlash against President Donald Trump for calling the mainstream media “fake news” and even the “enemy of the people.”
De Blasio’s office did not comment to the Post on why the reporter was ejected, but did imply the idea came from the NYPD: “The Department takes appropriate and necessary measures to protect dignitaries, including the Mayor of the City of New York,” an email to the Post from the mayor’s public relations team read.
Some hostility from the demonstrators towards press. Cameras being blocked, one person tried to unplug a photojournalist’s LiveU. pic.twitter.com/knofyICHDQ
— Konstantin Toropin (@KToropin) August 12, 2018
Twitter users slammed the hypocritical mayor for his double standard.
Good pushback @brianstelter. ?
De Blasio just wants a press that says nice things about him, which makes him more like Trump than he would ever realise or admit. https://t.co/Oz0j2eNh07— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 12, 2018
Hey Siri, define chutzpah!
De Blasio has been at war with the press, both the liberal and conservative, since the 1980s. Accused them of “dividing us,” making up stories, McCarthyism, not appreciating him, etc.
America now seeing why most New Yorkers think de Blasio is a joke https://t.co/4491ViRaQL
— Evan Siegfried (@evansiegfried) August 12, 2018
Surprised … NOT
— MAGA Dan (@RyanWalis) August 11, 2018
For all the consternation re Trump’s anti-press demagoguery, it’s elements of the hard LEFT that’ve *actually assaulted* journalists during “mostly peaceful” protests. If this violence were perpetrated by right-wingers, media panic over dangerous rhetoric would be off the charts.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 12, 2018
Funny, how the left accuses President Trump of attacking the press.
But the people *actually* attacking the press are Antifa leftists.
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) August 12, 2018
How dare the press question him .. Don’t they know who he is … He a Democrat and Liberal and Mayor . What he says and does is best for all new Yorkers. Lol
— Me (@kbunky1) August 13, 2018
Thinking the same thing. Just imagine if Trump had done that…
Heads would be exploding on 24hr news reports!— menunu (@barbszoo22) August 13, 2018
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Frieda@bizpacreview.com
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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