I’m no Trump-alike, says Nicole le
Republican mayoral hopeful Nicole Malliotakis has a message for Mayor de Blasio: “I’m not Donald Trump!”
Two days after de Blasio called Malliotakis a “pro-Trump Republican” and suggested that a vote for her in November is like a vote for the president, the Staten Island/Brooklyn assemblywoman fired back on Friday by accusing Hizzoner of trying to “hide” behind Trump’s unpopularity in the city.
“The mayor has a lousy record, [so] of course he’s going to try to tie me to [a] guy who has a [poor] approval rating,” said Malliotakis, following a Manhattan press conference where she ripped de Blasio for refusing to have the city pay half of the $836 million in emergency funding the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is seeking to repair its dilapidated system.
“I’m not Donald Trump. I’m Nicole Malliotakis. I have my own ideas. I have my own views,” she said.
Malliotakis actually endorsed US Sen. Marco Rubio in the 2016 presiden- tial primaries. She said she voted for Trump only after Rubio dropped out.
“As much as the mayor is tryingng to hide behind Donald Trump, this election is not about Donald Trump,” Malliotakis added. “This . . . is about Bill de Blasio and his inability to addresss the quality-of-life issue, his inability to manage taxpayer money properly, his inability to fix the various crises — homelessness, transit — that are plaguing our city.