New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D.) refused to call on the New York Post during a press conference on Thursday, saying it was not a real media outlet and a "right-wing rag" of no use to him.
After a discussion of a rent-freeze program for seniors and disabled people, de Blasio took questions from the assembled New York media. According to tweets by Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey, New York Post reporter Yoav Gonen tried to get in a question of his own, but de Blasio ignored him and insulted his newspaper.
"You can keep calling all you want," he said as Gonen called out. "I'm calling on real media outlets."
"I'm calling on real media outlets," de Blasio says to @yoavgonen of the New York Post, who is repeatedly trying to ask a question.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) October 6, 2016
Near the end of the presser, Gonen kept trying to get in his question.
"You can keep trying, man," de Blasio said. "You can talk all you want."
"Mr. Mayor, I’m credentialed just like the other media," Gonen said.
"That’s nice. I appreciate solidarity," de Blasio said.
Asked de Blasio if attacking reporters, not taking questions is helping him. He says that people share his view about the media/Post.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) October 6, 2016
Dawsey pressed the mayor about his antagonism toward the press.
"Taking questions once a week and insulting newspapers, media outlets, how do you think that’s helping you?" he asked.
"It doesn’t have to help," de Blasio said. "I’m saying what I think is the truth. And by the way, I think the people share a lot of my view."
The mayor said the newspaper had attacked Victor Calise, who serves as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. Calise was named in a recent New York Post report as among a "bloated band of vaguely titled aides" stretching the city payroll. According to the article, "City Hall insiders said de Blasio was using the special-assistant gigs in part to take care of political operatives" as they waited for their next campaign.
"I got no use for a right-wing rag that attacks people who are good public servants and tries to undermine their reputation," de Blasio said. "This man is not anything but a change agent, an activist ... So I’m not playing that game."
"Sure, that’s what it’s about," he added, as he left the conference.