NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio Slams Gov. Cuomo on Morning Joe: ‘The Bullying is Nothing New’

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke out against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over allegations he threatened a state Democrat to suppress the nursing home scandal.

De Blasio appeared on Morning Joe Thursday, where Mika Brzezinski noted Cuomo is under investigation amid allegations his administration undercounted nursing home deaths in the state. The de Blasio interview came shortly after Morning Joe heard from New York assemblyman Ron Kim (D), who says Cuomo threatened him for criticizing the governor’s handling of the scandal.

When asked for his response and whether he has spoken to Cuomo about this, De Blasio remarked “it’s a sad thing to say, but that’s classic Andrew Cuomo.”

“The bullying is nothing new,” he said. “I believe Ron Kim and it’s very, very sad. No public servant, no person who is telling the truth should be treated that way. But yeah. The threats, the belittling, the demand that someone change their statement right at that moment… many, many times I’ve heard that and I know a lot of other people in the state have heard that.”

De Blasio reiterated he believes Kim “100 percent,” and that Cuomo’s intimidation tactics are “not a surprise.”

“I give Kim credit for not being intimidated,” the mayor said. When asked about the DOJ’s investigation, he called it “unquestionably” necessary because “the truth has not come out yet, and we need it.”

“The notion that information was held back for political convenience instead of the blunt truth coming out so we could save lives, something is profoundly wrong there,” de Blasio concluded.

Watch above, via MSNBC.