NEW YORK — During Thursday night’s presidential debate, President Donald Trump painted a bleak picture of his hometown.

“It’s a ghost town,” Trump said during a discussion on the coronavirus response. “For so many years, I loved it. It was vibrant. It’s dying. Everyone’s leaving New York.”

Friday, Mayor de Blasio fired back with a zinger. “The only ghost town,” he said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, “is going to be Mar-a-Lago after this election, when Donald Trump is forced into retirement there.”

Trump’s comments came in the context of debate over government lockdowns. Trump argues states have gone too far in shutting down businesses, strangling the economy in the process. He singled out Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other Democratic governors.

But de Blasio on Friday pointed to New York’s success in beating back the pandemic and driving down the positivity rate, while also managing to successfully reopen schools.

“He's putting the onus on the people who are suffering but are still fighting back, rather than acknowledging his responsibility,” the mayor said, “because he wasn't here for us when we needed testing or when we needed a stimulus for our recovery.”

De Blasio trotted out the Mar-a-Lago line a second time during his weekly interview on the The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC.

“The only ghost town,” he said, “is going to be Mar-a-Lago after he is forced out of office by the decision of the people on Election Day. But not New York City, a place that is fighting back. And he should be honoring the people of New York City, not denigrating them.”

------

Did you know you can now watch, read and stay informed with NY1 wherever and whenever you want? Get the new Spectrum News app here.

------

Looking for an easy way to learn about the issues affecting New York City?

Listen to our "Off Topic/On Politics" podcast: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | RSS

-----

Further Coronavirus Coverage

What to Do If You Test Positive for COVID-19

Who Will Get a Coronavirus Vaccine First — And Who Decides?

How Hospitals Protect Against the Spread of Coronavirus

Coronavirus Likely Spreads Without Symptoms

Coronavirus: The Fight to Breathe

Experts Say Masks Are Still a Must

The Race for a Coronavirus Vaccine

The U.S. May Face a Second Wave of Coronavirus Infections

Cuomo Granted Broad New Powers as New York Tackles Coronavirus