Semper Fi – Mayor Dinkins Attends Mayor de Blasio’s Inauguration

Mayor David N. Dinkins, 90. toughed out the frigid weather during an historic low in NYC not seen since 1951 when he attended the ceremonial swearing in of Mayor Bill de Blasio at City Hall Park on New Year’s Day.

After an interview with Errol Louis of NY1, Mayor Dinkins took his place among the invited dignitaries for the ceremony on the steps of City Hall. As The New York Times noted, Mayor Dinkins was the only official guest in attendance with a space heater.  (Dinkins later told Director Laura Hart that the heater didn’t make a difference.)  Mayor de Blasio and Louis marveled at Mayor Dinkins fortitude in the weather, with de Blasio pointing out that Dinkins is a Marine. Transcript is below.

Hart attended the ceremony to shoot footage but the inclement weather proved insurmountable to both the camera (frozen batteries) and to the filmmaker who beat a hasty retreat to a Starbucks on Reade Street to warm up the camera and herself.

NY1 Interview with Mayor de Blasio

Errol Louis: Welcome back to Inside City Hall. My first guest tonight was sworn in for his second term earlier today on the frosty steps of City Hall. He joins me now for his weekly Mondays with the Mayor interview. Welcome and congratulations. Very good to see you.

Mayor Bill de Blasio: My hands are finally starting to work again Errol.

Louis: You know I really – I only found my butt like a half an hour ago. I froze it off. I couldn't find it. Let me ask you about this. One person who we – I know we both have a lot of affection for, David Dinkins was there, the former Mayor. And, you know, 106 was there to talk about 109 and everything was, you know, kind of [inaudible] but I started to ask myself, is he really going to sit through this? And there he was in the front row –


Mayor: All of it.

Louis: – through all of the frost and he seemed to be handling it better than people a third of his age who work with us.

Mayor: Well, first of all, he's a Marine. He's a tough guy.

Louis: Yes.

Mayor: And a strong man. But, you know, I think he really has a sense of how important a moment like this is. And it means a lot to me to have had him there, and for Chirlane because he really gave us our start. And so it was very touching. But I am just totally impressed by his fortitude. Whatever he's having for breakfast, I want to have it too.

Louis: Truly. I mean, again, some thirty-something journalist, we're all back there moaning and weeping and stamping our feet. And he's just kind of sitting there and enjoying himself. Well, did you enjoy yourself?

Mayor: Yes.

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