New York Post

Angry Blas cracks under the presser

- By YOAV GONEN City Hall Bureau Chief ygonen@nypost.com

An irate Mayor de Blasio abruptly cut short a Midtown press conference on Thursday because reporters wouldn’t ask questions about the long-shot “mansion tax” he’s pushing in Albany.

As he has done throughout his administra­tion, Hizzoner refused to respond to questions he considered “off topic” — even those relating to Wednesday’s disturbing murder of a black man by a white supremacis­t in Midtown.

“I’m here to talk about this. If you want to talk about this, great,” the mayor huffed, speaking of his proposed tax on property sales of $2 million or more.

“If not, we’ll take questions another way another time.”

When the next reporter asked about a judge ordering the administra­tion to publicly disclose emails between the mayor and an outside consultant — in response to a lawsuit filed by The Post and NY1 — the mayor lectured the as- sembled press on the rules he has conjured up governing press conference­s.

“This is how we set things up, guys. If you don’t want to be a part of it, you don’t have to come,” de Blasio said at the podium in front of the super-luxury high-rise at 432 Park Ave.

“Everything else you want to talk about you will get answers to through our press office,” he added. “If someone has a question on this, ask about this. If you don’t, that’s cool.”

When the third question had to do with an Israeli-American teen who was detained in Israel for allegedly calling in bomb threats to Jewish centers, the mayor threw up his arms.

“That’s great, guys,” he said sarcastica­lly. “I’m done.”

As the mayor walked away, a re- porter shouted after him, “Mr. Mayor, what are you afraid of when we ask you questions?”

The mayor didn’t respond, ending a press conference that had been bumpy from the beginning.

Noise from nearby constructi­on and traffic made it hard to hear his message on the proposal to tax high-end home sales to create a fund for seniors.

And at one point, a heckler walked by and shouted: “Everyone hates you de Blasio. Everybody — even the cops!”

A video of the press conference initially posted online by the mayor’s office concluded with the camera zooming in on an anti-de Blasio sign posted in the window of a building directly behind the mayor.

“De Blasio doesn’t care about the working middle class,” the sign read.

After reporters pointed out the unusual camera work on Twitter, the video was pared down and reposted without footage of the sign.

This is howho we set thingsthin­g up, guys. If youyo don’t want to be a part of it, you don’t have to come. — MayorM de Blasio to reporters

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