At his weekly briefing with reporters Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams took digs at the media, his competitors for next year’s mayoral primary, and, not for the first time, City Comptroller Brad Lander.
But with just one week to go before the presidential election, Adams declined to say anything negative about former President Donald Trump — and refused to answer even factual questions, such as when the two last spoke.
“Give me another question, please,” he told his staffer after that inquiry, before adding to the reporter: “You lost your opportunity.”
The briefing came just days after a huge Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, at which a comedian guest speaker referred to Puerto Rico as an island of garbage and where Trump himself restated his vow to launch “the largest deportation program in American history” if elected.
Asked about comic Tony Hinchcliffe’s Puerto Rico remark Tuesday, Adams pointed to a statement his office released on X condemning the “hateful words,” but he added that one person’s words shouldn’t be considered a statement on the entire Trump rally.
Among those attending was NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, who appeared in uniform and participated in a segment with the Trump-partisan media channel NewsMax.
“You can’t demonize an entire population based on the actions of those who attend,” he said.
At one point in an unusually feisty press conference, Adams was asked about the city’s preparations in response to Trump’s promise to launch a mass deportation of “illegal aliens” on day one of his administration.
“This is a sanctuary city, something that I advocated for. Those who commit illegal actions in the city, I don’t believe they should be able to remain here after they serve their time,” Adams answered. “But other than that, I’m not entertaining any hypotheticals.”
Adams and his administration have been weathering tumult ever since he was indicted by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in late September on charges that include bribery, fraud and soliciting donations from foreign nationals.
The case is centered on perks Adams allegedly received from representatives of the Turkish government — including free airline upgrades and discounted luxury hotel stays — in exchange for taking official actions to benefit those reps, most notably by pressuring fire department officials in late 2021 to declare a Turkish building ready to open despite safety concerns.
Adams has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Since the indictment, the mayor has seen his support dip to record lows while many members of his inner circle — including the former police commissioner, schools chancellor, deputy mayor for public safety and senior advisor for public safety — have resigned after federal authorities raided their homes or seized their phones.
During that time, Adams has been notably reluctant to criticize Trump, the Republican nominee for president, who, if he wins, would have the power to replace Williams.
City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running in the Democratic primary against Adams next year, has speculated on X that Adams could be angling for a presidential pardon should he be convicted. As president, Trump repeatedly used his power to pardon people convicted of federal crimes to reward supporters with clemency.
Asked about that claim Tuesday, Adams answered: “Lander, ooh, he’s the moral authority of life, you know. Listen, next question.”
Lander didn’t respond to a text message seeking comment but posted on X that Adams didn’t deny the claim.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said Adams’ deference to Trump after publicly criticizing the administration of President Joe Biden for its handling of the migrant crisis was “shameful” for the mayor, who won public office as a Democrat but was previously registered to vote as a Republican.
“We have a so-called Democratic mayor basically playing footsie with Donald trump,” Jumaane Williams told THE CITY. “It’s disgraceful that Eric Adams can’t find one thing to denounce about Donald Trump but he spent years bashing Biden and Harris – even though he called himself the Biden of Brooklyn.”
Previously, Adams had been more willing to denounce Trump. Just days after President Biden won the election in November 2020, Adams referred at a press conference to the “bigotry and hatred of the previous president.”
Two years later, when he was asked about Trump’s potential run for president against Biden, Adams told WABC radio, “I don’t think he should. I believe that for whatever reason, rightfully or wrongfully, it really divided the country during his run as president.”
Adams’ tone on Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has also shifted in recent months. When she first became the nominee to replace Biden on the ticket in early August, Adams told reporters, “I am rocking with the VP and Tim [Walz], the announcement that she made today. I’m excited about that ticket.”
On Tuesday, Adams failed to make any direct reference to Harris — even when he was asked whom he planned to vote for next week.
“I’ve made it clear on who I endorse for president, and I’m not going to do an annual endorsement refresher,” he said.
