Mayor Eric Adams said he will finish his term and is not planning to drop out of the New York City mayoral race, rejecting widespread reports that he might leave City Hall early to take a job in the Trump administration.
Adams made the remarks in an interview published Tuesday by New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin, saying he has not spoken to former President Donald Trump about a job and that quitting or conceding defeat “is too early” to consider. He said he still believes he has a chance at reelection despite polls showing him trailing his leading challenger.
Speaking from Gracie Mansion, Adams acknowledged that his first months in office were complicated by a string of personnel departures and by external crises he said were difficult to anticipate when he took office in 2022. He named the COVID-19 pandemic, crime and an influx of asylum seekers as major early challenges and said in hindsight he would have handled some appointments and hires differently.
Adams also addressed the federal indictment tied to his first campaign, saying the investigation and leaks that followed had damaged his political standing. He described the experience as a lesson in the relationship among mayors, the media and prosecutors, and said agents had seized his electronic devices during the probe. He characterized the prosecution as inappropriate and said its handling contributed to a political problem he has had to overcome.
Turning to his likely November opponent, Adams criticized Councilman Zohran Mamdani, who has emerged as the frontrunner in recent polling cited in the Post column. Adams faulted Mamdani’s policy proposals and the ideological bent of his supporters, saying certain proposals would transfer control of the city’s public schools away from mayoral oversight, would decriminalize prostitution and would accelerate efforts to close Rikers Island. Adams argued those changes would have more disruptive effects than some backers realize and said Mamdani has been “intentionally misleading” voters with promises he cannot fulfill.
Adams also voiced concern about Mamdani’s associations with progressive groups and about the views of some young supporters who participated in pro-Palestinian protests. He criticized public statements by Mamdani he said signaled a willingness to “globalize the intifada,” and said some of Mamdani’s base has shown hostility toward families and to symbols of national unity. Those comments were part of a broader argument that Mamdani is too far to the left for many New Yorkers, Adams said.
In the interview, Adams repeatedly framed his responses in personal terms, invoking family and his own record in New York. He described a long career in public life dating to his years in the New York Police Department and said he believes that background gives him a reservoir of trust with many voters. He also said he remains upbeat about his political prospects and intends to keep campaigning.
The exchange provided a window into how the mayor is positioning himself as he seeks a second term: acknowledging missteps and external pressures while sharply criticizing his opponent’s policy platform and political backers. Adams’s remarks underscore recurring debates in the city about public safety, criminal justice reform, school governance and the administration of city services — issues likely to shape the campaign ahead of the November election.
Mamdani and his campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment in the Post’s account. The mayor’s public statements and the Post interview come as New York voters weigh competing visions for city governance and as both campaigns prepare for a fall contest that could hinge on turnout among diverse constituencies.
Adams emphasized during the interview that he would not abandon the office midterm and that he intends to finish his current term. "I feel strong and I’m not giving up," he said, adding that he expects to continue fighting in the race and to make his case to voters in the months ahead.