De Blasio Slams Trump For Building Pollution At Chaotic Rally

NEW YORK — A sideshow of protesters greeted Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday as he threatened President Donald Trump with fines under new energy-efficiency legislation that he has not yet signed.

The Republican president owns eight large buildings that could generate about $2.1 million a year in city fines starting in 2030 if their emissions are not reduced under a bill the City Council passed last month, de Blasio's office said.

The Democratic mayor noted the potential penalties at a rally inside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, which he said aimed to send a message that "not even the president of the United States" is exempt from the legislation.

"He’s not just a problem because of his policies in Washington," de Blasio said. "He’s a problem because his buildings are among the biggest polluters in New York City."

But that message was dampened by music and protesters who forced the mayor to shout his remarks and beckon reporters to come closer so he could hear their questions.

Large signs that read "WORST MAYOR EVER" and "TRUMP 2020" could be seen coming down the escalator behind de Blasio as he spoke. Protesters could be heard chanting Trump's name as the mayor gestured toward a chart outlining the possible fines against the president's properties.

"It’s so nice of them to serenade us here at Trump Tower, but clearly they’re uncomfortable about the truth," de Blasio said. Then a voice shouted, "Bulls---!"

The raucous event came as de Blasio said he would announce this week whether he will join the already crowded field of Democratic candidates for president.

The rally's stated purpose was to highlight a central piece of de Blasio's so-called Green New Deal for New York City.

The legislation the council passed April 18 will require buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to eventually reduce their emissions by 80 percent by 2050, with certain exceptions. Those that miss targets set out in the bill will face fines. The mayor has not signed the bill but his office says it will become law on May 17.

De Blasio's office said the Trump buildings it identified, including Trump Tower, emit about 27,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases a year, or as much as 5,800 cars.

The fines they could face in 2030 if no fixes are made range from $239,315 a year for the Trump Palace on East 69th Street to $850,871 for the Trump International Hotel & Tower on Central Park West, according to the mayor's office.

The city's Green New Deal shows it is a leader in the fight against climate change while the Trump administration sits on its hands, de Blasio argued.

"We're taking action right now," he said. "Meanwhile, what have they done in Washington? ... The president has stocked his cabinet with climate-change deniers and millionaires and fossil-fuel executives who are taking us backwards."

The rally had a starkly political tone even though it was sponsored by de Blasio's government office as he mulls a longshot run for president. De Blasio had planned to hold it outside Trump Tower but inclement weather forced it into the public space inside.

The mayor said he was unbothered by the protesters even though they created a distraction from his message.

"They’re just music to my ears, because it means we’re doing something important here in New York City," he said. "If all these people who support President Trump are opposing what we’re doing, we must be doing something right."