De Blasio Dismisses Trump Comments About Red Starbucks Cups, 'War On Christmas'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday was not taking kindly to remarks by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump about the new Starbucks holiday cup design.
As CBS2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer reported, the mayor seemed to regard Trump's comments on the so-called red cup controversy as more of a tempest in a teapot – or a coffee pot – than anything else.
"I think Donald Trump should lighten up," de Blasio said. "I think he needs to get out more often."
Mayor de Blasio is stirring the cup, so to speak, in the Republican presidential primary as he questions Trump's latest battle.
Trump weighed in earlier this week on complaints about the minimalist holiday cups Starbucks is using this year. Pastor and social media personality Josh Feuerstein earlier made a video that went viral – complaining that Starbucks had removed references to Christmas on their holiday cups and instead going with a plain red design with the company's green and white logo.
"No more 'Merry Christmas' on Starbucks. No more," Trump told a crowd in Springfield, Illinois. "Maybe we should boycott Starbucks. I don't know. Seriously. I don't care."
He added: "If I become president, we're all going to be saying 'Merry Christmas' again. That I can tell you. That I can tell you! Unbelievable."
In past years, Starbucks has featured snowflakes, winter scenes, and even the occasional Christmas ornament. De Blasio said the design is ecumenical.
"First of all, Starbucks serves every kind of person," de Blasio said.
Trump's remarks criticizing Starbucks came even though he is the landlord for a New York Starbucks branch.
"Hey look, I'm speaking against myself," he said. "I have one of the most successful Starbucks in Trump Tower."
Mayor de Blasio admitted he drank coffee Wednesday out of a Starbucks holiday cup, and said he supports the company because he supports their labor policies and are good to their staff.
"I think, by the way, as a company, I give them a lot of credit -- with what they're doing on health insurance; what they're doing on getting educational opportunities for their workers," de Blasio said. "If more companies in America were doing what Starbucks is doing, this would be a very different discussion. So I don't care what they put on their cups. I care about what they do for working people, and they're doing the right thing by them."
Meanwhile, Starbucks is pointing out that it is selling a special Christmas blend coffee and frosted snowman cookies.
