President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a Black Lives Matter mural that will go in front of Trump Tower is “a symbol of hate.”

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that he would have the phrase “Black Lives Matter” painted in large yellow letters on Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets in Manhattan, which is right in front of Trump Tower.

Trump reacted to the news on Twitter Wednesday and on New York City cutting $1 billion from the city’s police department budget.

“NYC is cutting Police $’s by ONE BILLION DOLLARS, and yet the @NYCMayor is going to paint a big, expensive, yellow Black Lives Matter sign on Fifth Avenue, denigrating this luxury Avenue,” Trump wrote on Twitter.

Trump also suggested the New York Police Department could prevent the mural.

“Maybe our GREAT Police, who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates & disrespects them, won’t let this symbol of hate be affixed to New York’s greatest street. Spend this money fighting crime instead!” Trump tweeted.

Rudy Guiliani Calls Black Lives Matter a Marxist Organization

Despite a poll showing 95% of Americans are in favor of some kind of police reform and growing disapproval of Trump’s handling of the nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd, the president has refused to change his stance on police brutality, the protests, or the taking down of Confederate statues.

New York workers were supposed to begin painting the sign on Thursday but for some reason it was delayed.  Asked to explain the delay at his Thursday press briefing, de Blasio offered vague details, instead saying “It’s gonna happen soon. Couple things we have to work through.”

##