Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Appears on America with Jorge Ramos on Fusion

October 11, 2016

Jorge Ramos: Mayor de Blasio, thanks so much for talking to us again.

Mayor Bill de Blasio: You’re very welcome, Jorge.

Ramos: Okay, you know, I just say the latest NBC poll that suggests that Hillary Clinton is well ahead of Donald Trump. You’ve been in politics for quite a while. Do you think that the video in which Trump brags about groping women – it’s the end of the presidential aspirations?

Mayor: I think his campaign has been in decline for weeks now. I think this horrible revelation that he’s used such horrible, sexist language, but, on top of that, obviously, bragged about sexually assaulting women – I think it is probably the final nail in the coffin, but, that being said, no one can go to sleep on this campaign.

You know, what I fear in a situation like this, Jorge, is that people think, oh, okay, there’s nothing more to do here, we don’t need to vote, we don’t need to be involved. In fact, there are many, many reasons why people need to stay involved in this election, including the fact that not only is the presidency up for grabs – the Senate, now maybe even the House of Representatives could change – but also Hillary Clinton needs a presidential mandate. You know, her husband didn’t have, in either election, more than 50 percent of the vote of the American people.

Hillary needs a strong, popular vote mandate to achieve things like comprehensive immigration reform and real action on income inequality. So, yeah, I think Donald Trump is hurting profoundly, but I think people need to stay very, very engaged.

Ramos: As you know, Speaker Paul Ryan said on Monday that he’s done defending Donald Trump. How do you read this? What does that mean for the Republican Party?

Mayor: I think the Republican Party is now, you know, sowing what they reaped. I think the Republican Party, first of all, allowed the growth – and, in fact, aided in many ways the growth of the Tea Party, which really precedes Donald Trump. It’s important to remember a lot of why Donald Trump succeeded in the Republican primaries was because the Tea Party movement grew so strong – and as you know, a very divisive, negative movement that took over the Republican Party in many ways – and that led to Donald Trump’s nomination.

So, all those Republican leaders who look the other way or aided and abetted the Tea Party are now being paid back for it. All those Republican leaders who wouldn’t confront Donald Trump or endorsed him because it was politically convenient even though they knew he was racist and sexist – now they’re in a bind that their party’s being invalidated in the eyes of the American people.

So, it doesn’t surprise me that Speaker Ryan won’t defend him but Speaker Ryan should have spoken up against Donald Trump a long time ago in a much more profound way.

Ramos: Let me ask you – what do you make of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani defending Donald Trump all the time?

Mayor: I think he’s a lost soul. I think he – you know, when he was the Mayor of this city, instead of being someone we hoped he could be, a reformer or as he was as a prosecutor, he turned into a very divisive, negative person in New York City. He turned into someone who used divisive racial politics on a regular basis to strengthen his hand, and then it’s only gotten worse since he left New York City. And he continues to defend Trump even when it’s indefensible. I think it just proves that Rudy Giuliani’s lost his way.

Ramos: Let me ask you now about New York City – as you know, emails are a big issue in this presidential campaign, and it seems it’s becoming an issue for you, Mayor. When you were campaigning, you were an advocate for transparency, but your administration, right now, is resisting to turnover emails of your communication between you and outside advisors. So, what happened with transparency?

Mayor: Jorge, I believe we are a very transparent administration. I’ll give you examples – for example, we disclose any time that I speak to a lobbyist when they lobby me for a client, which I do very – you know, I very infrequently allow those conversations, but we’ve disclosed them every single time online. And we’ve gone out of our way to go beyond disclosure requirements in a variety of categories but –

Ramos: How about these e-mails?

Mayor: – when it comes to those particular emails, those are private advisors who my own counsel advised, that were playing a role, a personal role, advising me, and could very fairly be treated as off limits from disclosure.

Ramos: But isn’t that public information, Mayor? If they’re advising you on the City, isn’t that public information?

Mayor: Jorge, I fundamentally believe – first of all, if it’s advice of counsel that means something. This is – the Counsel for the Mayor’s Office said this was the right way to handle things. But, second of all, I think there are people you’re allowed to have private conversations with who are your personal advisors. It’s not the same thing as when you do business on behalf of the people. Of course, there’s a whole range of things that we are obligated to disclose, and we should. There’s still a place in this world to have some trusted souls who are your personal advisors.

Ramos: Talking about transparency, some reporters in New York are complaining that you don’t allow them to ask more than three questions in a press conference. Is that right?

Mayor: No, that’s not right at all. We have a variety of different kinds of press conferences. Some are all topics, any topics. Some are on specific major topics and we focus the conversation on that. Some are both –

Ramos: But they can ask as many questions as they want?

Mayor: I also do every week – not as many as they want, but a very substantial number of questions. For example, I think many times we’ll have a press conference where there’s a central topic, and we’ll take for example 10 or 12 questions about that, and then we’ll talk 10 or 12 questions on other topics. I think that’s pretty impressive. But, on top of that, I do a weekly radio show where New Yorkers can call in and ask any questions. I do town hall meetings that go on typically two or three hours where anyone who comes can ask any questions. I’m very proud of being available to answer those questions.

Ramos: The New York Times reports that not one of the more than 35,000 police officers in your city is wearing a body camera. This happened three years after a judge ordered a pilot program on that. What has happened with the body cameras?

Mayor: That’s a great question Jorge. We’re fundamentally devoted to body cameras in New York City. Now, you know the reality of American policing. We are by far the largest police force. We’re soon going to have 36,000 officers. Nowhere – no other jurisdiction has anything like that number, so bringing it to full fruition here in New York City is going to be a very big endeavor. We had a pilot, so police officers in New York City have worn body cameras as part of that pilot. We’re now in the process of ramping it up – first to 1,000 officers in the course of the next year, then to 5,000, and then we’re going to go from there. The one thing that we’re confronting here that we have to be smart about – we have a federal monitor who has to approve each step and work with us. We also have very substantial issues – not only about confidentiality of material and what would be publicly available and FOIL-able, etcetera – but, on top of that, you know, huge logistical and technological challenges, because imagine all the officers on patrol in New York City every single day, all the footage that they collect. We’re going to have to figure out some standards for what we keep, and what we don’t, and for how long. So we’re working that through, but body cameras will become a very, very common sight on the streets of New York City in the next few years.

Ramos: Mayor, one final question – the deadline to register to vote in New York is coming up. What is the city doing to make this possible?

Mayor: We are promoting voter registration in every way we can, Jorge. The deadline in New York City, this coming Friday, October 14th, with one important exception for newly – new citizens – people who have become American citizens very recently, they can sign up as late as October 29th. So, it’s very important for people to recognize, who are new citizens, they can go until October 29th. All over the country, people have to recognize right now is the chance to register to vote, and not miss this election, which will determine our future in so many ways. The City of New York is promoting voter registrations all over – in schools, and in government offices, and we’re doing a lot of innovative work out on the streets to reach people as well. But for all New Yorkers my message is sign up by this Friday, October 14th, so you can help decide the future of this country.

Ramos: Mayor de Blasio, gracias por hablar con nosotros.

Mayor: De nada.

Ramos: Thanks so much, I really appreciate it.