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De Blasio Meets With Trump To Discuss 'Concerns' Of New Yorkers, Says Many Are 'Fearful'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio met with Donald Trump Wednesday morning to talk with the president-elect about "the concerns and the needs of all New Yorkers," saying that many "were fearful.''

As CBS2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer reported, the mayor described the meeting as a blunt, no-nonsense discussion in which he put all his concerns on the table.

De Blasio emerged from his meeting with the president-elect and delivered a speech, reading from notes in the black plastic binder he takes to all his news conferences.

De Blasio said the four-hour meeting was "candid" and "respectful," but he also said he didn't hold back.

"Let me put my cards on the table – not only about what I believe, but what the interests are of my city; what people's needs are; what their fears are," de Blasio said. "I wanted to start the relationship by being crystal clear and very blunt about those."

De Blasio said he told Trump he was representing the people's' views on immigration, stop-and-frisk, and income inequality.

During the campaign, Trump dumped all over the mayor, calling him a "disaster" and saying he was doing a "horrible job."

Kramer asked de Blasio if he and Trump exchanged any apologies for the things they had said about each other. De Blasio said they did not.

"It was a candid meeting. We had spoken on the phone the other day, and so if there was a break in the ice, it was that. I think even people who have very real differences can still have a dialogue," de Blasio said.

Kramer noted that the things de Blasio represented as New York City's policies are the opposite of what Trump espoused during the campaign. She asked de Blasio if Trump seemed like he was listening or of he was dismissive.

"Marcia, I'm not going to assume based on one meeting what the outcomes will be," de Blasio said. "It was important to have the meeting."

The mayor said he told the president-elect he wanted to bring him views from New Yorkers outside the transition bubble. He defiantly said he would oppose Trump's desire to deport certain of immigrants

He said that proposal "countered and flew in the face of all that was great about New York City, the ultimate city of immigrants."

The mayor said they also talked about Muslims who are worried about their safety; and why he ended stop, question and frisk as a crime-fighting policy while Trump wants to expand the practice.

"I tried to provide perspective on how stop-and-frisk had created a wedge between police and community when it was used in an unconstitutional manner and it was overused," he said. "And how since we changed that policy, the city had gotten safer and that we knew we were never going back to that policy."

The mayor said he also addressed what he called "some of the messages and some of the rhetoric that for many people, have been hurtful."

"I let him know that so many New Yorkers were fearful and that more had to be done to show that this country can heal and that people be respected," he said.

They also discussed Wall Street regulations and Trump's promised tax cuts.

"If there is a proposal that American corporations should get tax cuts and wealthy individuals should get tax cuts, I will obviously oppose that," de Blasio said.

Since de Blasio has clearly seen the value of using Trump as a foil in his reelection campaign, there was an implied threat of more defiance, Kramer reported.

"I want to emphasize how closely watched this is going to be – not only by me and by New Yorkers, but by many of the people who voted for the president-elect," de Blasio said.

De Blasio said he left the meeting "with the door open for more dialogue."

"I reiterated to the president-elect that I would be open-minded as we continue substantive discussions, but I would also be vigilant and I would be swift to react any time an action is taken that would undermine the people of New York City," he said.

De Blasio, who said federal aid accounts for about 10 percent of the city's $82 billion budget, has also said that it's "important for the city to get along with the folks in Washington."

For many New Yorkers, a question they wanted de Blasio to ask is whether Trump will live in the White House full time so that residents could avoid a traffic mess surrounding Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.

De Blasio said Wednesday that the traffic situation is "a very real problem" and said more details on it would be revealed later in the week.

The meeting between de Blasio and Trump was in stark contrast to when Trump was a the White House last week. When he met with President Barack Obama, mutual respect ruled the day.

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