De Blasio Declines To Endorse Capitalism And His Comms Director Loves It

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to endorse capitalism on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Friday, saying instead that the United States should “redistribute” its wealth.

“I’m a social Democrat. I believe that we’re living in a capitalist system that has strengths and weaknesses and we have to address it with a strong role of government,” de Blasio said in response to political analyst Susan Del Percio’s question asking the mayor if he believes in the capitalist system. “And right now that’s not happening sufficiently,” de Blasio said.

“There’s plenty of money in this world, and there’s plenty in this country but it’s in the wrong hands. And we have to have policies that give people a chance again by redistributing some of that money back to working people,” de Blasio said, blasting the one percent.

Percio continued to press the mayor on whether he considers himself a capitalist. De Blasio conceded only that he is a “social Democrat,” adding that his a “New Deal Democrat.”

“[W]hat is fairness? What are we here to do in this world?” de Blasio said. “We’re not here to continually empower the one percent,” he said.

His communications director, Mike Casca, tweeted about de Blasio‘s remarks, saying “hell yeah” to the mayor’s advocacy for the redistribution of wealth.

Income inequality, immigration reform, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and affordable housing are among the mayor’s top commitments.

De Blasio took office in January 2014.