New York City "won't survive" if Mayor Bill de Blasio remains mayor, and he must be removed from office for the direction in which he's leading the city, Rep. Lee Zeldin insisted Wednesday.
"I love New York City," the New York Republican said on Fox News' "Outnumbered Overtime." "In the late 80s, early 90s, Mayor (David) Dinkins left and Rudy Giuliani came in and there was a focus on the quality of life. He saw the crime rates go down, the economy flourish, the potential being reached."
But now, Zeldin said, the city is again at a crossroads, and de Blasio is taking it in a direction of "chaos and lawlessness and poverty and a lack of opportunity. I really believe he has to be removed."
Show host Harris Faulkner commented that there are critics who would say Zeldin's complaints sound like they are coming from political differences, but Zeldin said he believes the opposition to de Blasio's policies would come from all parties.
"They want a different direction," he said. "De Blasio's numbers have to be completely in the tank right now."
Zeldin also commented on calls from Democratic Reps Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley, who are presenting a new law, the "BREATHE Act," which calls for defunding police, abolishing ICE and the Drug Enforcement Agency, and other issues.
"I believe this would, in many cases, erode public safety in our country," said Zeldin. "I don't support the defund the police movement, and I think Joe Biden needs to weigh in because he is starting to show support for efforts like this."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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