New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is holding off on endorsing Hillary Clinton, saying he wants to see “a clear, bold vision” first.
De Blasio, a progressive champion who managed Clinton’s successful Senate campaign in 2000, said Clinton is among the most qualified presidential contenders in history and “she doesn’t need to be vetted.”
But he demurred when asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” if he would endorse Clinton — underscoring, at least in appearance, the left’s hesitance about a candidate they see as too centrist and too close to Wall Street to address wage stagnation and income inequality.
“I think like a lot of people in this country I want to see a vision. And, again, that would be true of candidates on all levels. It’s time to see a clear, bold vision for progressive economic change,” De Blasio said.
Host Chuck Todd then asked: “So you’re technically not yet endorsing her?”
“No, not until I see — and, again, I would say this about any candidate — until I see an actual vision of where they want to go,” he said.
His comments raised eyebrows given his status as a former top campaign aide and because Clinton campaigned with de Blasio during his bid for mayor.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who also appeared on “Meet the Press,” downplayed de Blasio’s comments as a bad omen for Clinton from the left. Still, the Democrat said that “people don’t want a coronation.”