New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Bill de BlasioOVERNIGHT ENERGY: California seeks to sell only electric cars by 2035 | EPA threatens to close New York City office after Trump threats to 'anarchist' cities | House energy package sparks criticism from left and right EPA threatens to close New York City office after Trump threats to 'anarchist' cities New Year's Eve in Times Square to be largely virtual amid pandemic MORE (D) said Friday that he did not attack former President Obama during the second Democratic presidential debate this week when he and other candidates asked former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Fox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio MORE about his role in Obama-era deportations.

“I was not attacking Obama," de Blasio said in an appearance on "The View."

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"It’s questioning whether those deportations made sense and asking a vice president to explain his role in it,” he added.

The mayor called his disagreement with Biden a "family discussion."

"If we can have this discussion in our family — and yeah in this case it's a family discussion that happens to be televised, we then can figure out who we are as Democrats and go into battle ready to win," De Blasio said.

He also said he challenged Biden because he wanted Biden to explain what he did and what he stands for.

.@BilldeBlasio defends attacks on Biden during debate where he hammered him on deportations during the Obama admin: “I was not attacking Obama... It’s questioning whether those deportations made sense and asking a vice president to explain his role in it.” https://t.co/ypxOTfyjHb pic.twitter.com/cfBis5cGFk — The View (@TheView) August 2, 2019

The interview followed a tense Wednesday night debate moment in which de Blasio pressed Biden, the 2020 front-runner, on his opinion on whether 3 million deportations under the Obama administration were a good idea.

Sen. Cory Booker Cory Anthony Booker3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.) also went after Biden's relationship with Obama, saying the former vice president couldn't pick and choose when to tout his Obama connection.

The candidates are among more than two dozen vying for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.