New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was forced to defend himself Monday morning in the wake of a massive blackout that struck his city — while he was campaigning for president in Iowa.
Many parts of Manhattan were plunged into darkness for five hours Saturday night. On Monday, de Blasio was on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and was asked about calls for his resignation.
"When you're chief executive, it doesn't matter where you are," de Blasio said. "You're in charge of your team and making sure people are executing the plan.
"Obviously, the fire department, the police department, Emergency Management prepare for situations like this. The important thing was to get the right people in the right place, and folks did follow that plan."
De Blasio, who has served as mayor since 2014, then tried to spin the story by saying it shows he is the right choice for president.
"The bottom line is I got information, had to make decisions, had to make sure people were doing the right thing, and that is something I have to do wherever I am and that any chief executive has to do," he said. "And honestly, if you're chief executive, you understand the world differently than if you were legislator, for example.
"God bless legislators, but I'm responsible every time to make sure that if there is a crisis, it's responded to."
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