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Dem Rep: 'Bill de Blasio Should Have His Head Examined' For Not Falling in Line With Hillary

April 14, 2015

After endorsing Clinton on WAMC with Alan Chartock, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D., N.Y.) rebuked New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for refusing to do so on Meet the Press Sunday.

"Well, I think Bill de Blasio should have his head examined," Rep. Sean Maloney said.

There is increasing pressure on Democrats to support Clinton now that she is an official candidate.

Chuck Todd asked de Blasio whether he would endorse Clinton on the show, and de Blasio bluntly said "no."

"Not until I see—and, again, I would say this about any candidate—until I see an actual vision of where they want to go," de Blasio said.

"I think, like a lot of people in this country, I want to see a vision. And, again, that would be true of candidates on all levels. It’s time to see a clear, bold vision for progressive economic change."

De Blasio’s response left the Clinton team "furious" at his comments. Maloney is hardly the first Democrat to criticize de Blasio for what many on the left viewed as his ungratefulness to the Clintons.

"This is her announcement day," said Hilary Rosen, Democratic strategist. "It’s one thing to say we’re looking forward to listening to her policies, to examining it more and the like. It’s another thing to kind of stomp on it. I just thought that his tone seemed to stomp on it."

Maloney said de Blasio heard the message from the party loud and clear.

"I think he heard it from pretty much everybody and their brother, that maybe he ought to clarify his comments a little bit."