New York City Mayor Eric Adams claimed Thursday that false rumors linking him to a quid pro quo arrangement with former President Donald Trump derailed his reelection campaign in this year’s mayoral race, saying “people kept lying” about his intentions.
While he was discussing his post-mayor future, Adams told “The 11th Hour” host Stephanie Ruhle, “What I want to do next, we’re still working. I have so many offers.” When the MSNBC host asked him if one of the offers he has received is from President Trump, Adams responded, “No. You know, he has never at any time said, ‘Eric, I want you to do A, B and C.’”
“That was part of the undermining of my campaign, actually, when people kept lying over and over again,” Adams continued. “‘Eric is going to Saudi Arabia, Eric is going to HUD, Eric is meeting with the president at the Mets game.’ All of that hurt my ability to run a campaign, and I kept trying to be as forthright as possible. But it was just reported inappropriately.”
In response, Ruhle asked Adams about Trump’s well-publicized ICE operations in New York City this year, in the wake of his Department of Justice’s call for a dismissal of the federal criminal corruption case against Adams. “There was never any quid pro quo. We were very clear on that,” the mayor replied. “There was never any promises made. Remember: What I said about immigration pre-election was the same thing I said post-election.”
“People seem to forget that,” Adams added. “Dangerous immigrants that come to our city [and] wreak havoc, create crime, shoot police officers, they don’t deserve the right to be in our country. I’ve been clear on that from the beginning.”
You can watch his full appearance on “The 11th Hour” yourself in the video below.
During his conversation with Ruhle, Adams also took aim at New York City mayoral race frontrunner Zohran Mamdani and defended his decision to endorse Mamdani’s biggest opponent, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, despite previously criticizing Cuomo.
“Whatever emotions I have around Andrew, it does not compare to the fear I have around Zohran and the DSA’s [Democratic Socialists of America] direction they would take this city,” Adams said.
Adams specifically questioned some of the political stances Mamdani has previously supported throughout his political career. “It’s the policies,” Adams explained. “That is the issue. Not only his inexperience, but idealism colliding with realism [in] running this city.”
