Donald Trump has responded to Mayor Bill de Blasio's proposal to paint a Black Lives Matter sign in front of the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in NYC, and he's not pleased. On Wednesday (July 1st), the New York City mayor announced the city's plans to paint the slogan in massive letters on the famous street, taking after several other major cities that have done the same. According to Mayor de Blasio, the job will begin in the next few days.
During his appearance on MSNBC, de Blasio also addressed the recently approved $1 billion budget cut to the NYPD, the funds from which will be reallocated to investments in youth initiatives in an effort to reduce future crime. Between this and the BLM sign, Trump was pissed, and the NYC Mayor's plans became the target for his tantrum of the day.
As usual, the POTUS took to Twitter to rant about the NYPD budget cuts and the BLM sign, which he referred to as "a symbol of hate."
"NYC is cutting Police $’s by ONE BILLION DOLLARS, and yet the @NYCMayor is going to paint a big, expensive, yellow Black Lives Matter sign on Fifth Avenue, denigrating this luxury Avenue," he tweeted. "This will further antagonize New York’s Finest, who LOVE New York & vividly remember the horrible BLM chant, 'Pigs In A Blanket, Fry ‘Em Like Bacon.' Maybe our GREAT Police, who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates & disrespects them, won’t let this symbol of hate be affixed to New York’s greatest street. Spend this money fighting crime instead!"
Mayor de Blasio proceeded to respond to Trump's tweets, clarifying the purpose of the sign. "Here’s what you don’t understand: Black people BUILT 5th Ave and so much of this nation," he replied. "Your 'luxury' came from THEIR labor, for which they have never been justly compensated. We are honoring them. The fact that you see it as denigrating your street is the definition of racism."
"You also don’t know that NY’s Finest are now a majority people of color," he continued. "They already know Black Lives Matter. There is no 'symbol of hate' here. Just a commitment to truth. Only in your mind could an affirmation of people’s value be a scary thing."
