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Bloomberg Chides Trump And Republicans For Birther Rhetoric
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 24, 2011
Modified Apr 24, 2011
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Photographs by Seth Taylor for Fashion Herald
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 24, 2011
Modified Apr 24, 2011
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Yesterday, WWE Raw enthusiast Donald Trump was criticized for his less than exemplary primary voting record. But today, he got a bit of a tongue-lashing for his obsession with President Obama's birth certificate by fellow member of the billionaire's-club, Mayor Bloomberg. “The Republicans are making a terrible mistake in making this a big issue. We have immigration, we have the deficit, we have the economy. Those are the things that the public cares about,” he said on FoxNews this morning.
Bloomberg made his thoughts on the question of Obama's birthplace very clear: "Look, anyone can run for president if you're 35 and you're an American citizen and born here. The President was born here." During the interview, he called Trump a friend and NY icon, but warned him to drop the birther stuff for more substance: "My girlfriend always says it's always about housing and jobs - my house, my job. That's what the public cares about.And if the Republican Party doesn't start addressing that they will lose and they deserve to."
Bloomberg added that the back-and-forth between Dems and the GOP is "good theater, but the country can no longer afford this. The American public is smart enough to understand that. lets focus on the main issues." Despite sounding suspiciously like someone who may have presidential aspirations of his own, Bloomberg again flatly denied that he was running for President.
Several Staten Island Republicans seem to be on the same page with Bloomberg about Trump's over-the-top antics. State Sen. Andy Lanza said Trump's reliance on the birther issue could hurt him: “It’s risky to stake your candidacy on that, because it’s so easily knocked out of the box. Then Trump would be done...What works in the entertainment business might be a weakness in a campaign for the White House. To run for president, you have to demonstrate statesmanship and polish.” City Councilman James Oddo agreed with his assessment: “If I want personality to that degree, I’ll turn on the WWE.”
Tagged
birther
donald trump
election 2012
mayor bloomberg
presidential aspirations
staten island
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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