President Trump slammed Bill de Blasio as a 'communist fool' who has destroyed New York City on Monday morning, as more and more residents flee for good and say they'll likely never return because the city may never recover. Many fled New York in March, when it was the epicenter of the pandemic, with the intention of returning when things began reopening. But as the lockdown dragged on, forcing hundreds of businesses to close their doors, and as businesses survived with a remote workforce, many abandoned their apartment leases permanently for more spacious homes in different states.