Fox News host Maria Bartiromo suggested to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that his city is "using" the COVID-19 crisis "to take us into socialism."

The Fox News host made the remark during a Sunday interview after de Blasio revealed that the city needs $7.4 billion from the federal government.

"Just like the federal government bailed out the airline industry to the tune of $258 billion, bail out the largest city in the country so we can restart and be able to be strong leaders in an economic revitalization," de Blasio explained.

Bartiromo interrupted: "Are you using this crisis to take us into socialism?"

The Fox News host went on to note that de Blasio wants to address "racial inequalities" during the pandemic response.

"Are you trying to change things that have nothing to do with the coronavirus?" she charged. "And we're not impacted by that, Mr. Mayor."

"I'm looking to go at the very things that the coronavirus crisis had dredged up," the mayor replied. "We've seen it all over the country. There are vast health care disparities that have come up that must be addressed for the good of all of us."