The state of New York may be enamored of Donald Trump, but the same can’t be said for the city. Heading into tomorrow’s primary, Trump enjoys a double-digit lead over the other two Republican candidates, and is especially popular in the upstate and rural regions. However, it seems like citizens of his home city aren’t nearly as impressed, where his candidacy is viewed as “distasteful and offensive.”
New York City resident Delvin James voiced his embarrassment:
“My response is, wow. Every time. I always go, wow. Any other country, they have a representative here in New York. He’s already offended everybody in the whole world except white Americans.”
New York is one of the most diverse cities on the planet, representing nearly every nation and race. Residents take a real sense of pride in the city’s diversity and reputation as a cultural melting pot, and much of Trump’s rhetoric is rubbing them the wrong way. Trump’s anti-immigration stance is especially troubling, and New Yorkers are not pleased. Assemblyman Roy Kim commented:
“We have a lot of pride in embracing the immigrant experience and making sure that we celebrate diversity and he’s running on the opposite of that and that’s very disappointing for New Yorkers.”
Trump was born in Queens and his presence in the city is inescapable. From Trump Tower in Midtown, Trump Place along the Hudson, and his playboy lifestyle that dominated tabloid newspapers in the past, one would think New Yorkers would embrace the local guy.
Nope.
City leaders like Kim are listening to the residents’ concerns, and many of them have actively tried to distance themselves and their city from the Trump name.
So while Trump touts his “New York values” on the campaign trial, actual New Yorkers are dismissive and disgusted. One resident added:
“I don’t look at him as a New Yorker. I look at him the way I look at Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian — someone who’s just famous and rich.”
Feature image via Getty/Andrew Burton.
