In a series of media engagements this morning, New York City Mayor Eric Adams diminished his ties with the Democratic party and did not close the possibility of changing political affiliation, saying that the most important party for him is the “American party.” New York’s mayor also defended his recent statements that appear to place him in political alignment with the incoming Trump administration
In an interview with Mornings on 1, Adams was challenged on hard line he has taken on immigration lately, with anchor Jamie Stelter saying that given his recent comments about migrants, he sounds like a “pro-Trump” mayor in a deep-blue city, and asked if that might backfire. In a press briefing earlier this week, Adams declared that the U.S. Constitution was “for Americans,” not a “person that snuck into this country.” The mayor has also announced that he has a meeting scheduled for next week with Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, who was responsible for family separations during Trump’s first term.
Adams claimed that his comments were not pro-Trump but rather his own views on the matter independent of the present political circumstances, and framed the president-elect as an important partner in the city’s future. “It wasn’t about the election of the incoming president, who I refuse to be warring with, I’m going to be working with to bring resources home to this city.” Stelter then pointed out his previous affiliation with the Republican party from 1997 to 2001 and asked if he would consider rejoining the GOP. The mayor left the door ajar on that possibility: “The party that’s the most important for me is the American party […] And that’s the party I’m going to always be a member of.”
In another stop on Adams’ media blitz at PIX11, Adams again raised questions about his future political affiliation, saying that “we need to move away from identifying classifying ourselves as anything other than Americans,” but still assuring that he will be running for reelection next year “as a Democrat.” Asked whether he agrees with the Trump’s stated plans for mass deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants, the mayor said that he opposes it, but that he was also against “mass saturation.” Adams also said he was “looking forward” to meeting with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan and that he “[has] some great ideas [he wants] to share.” Homan was once described as “the intellectual father” of the family separation policy, which involved wrenching 12,000 children form their parents, the vast majority of whom have not been reunited.
The mayor then goaded those that might take exception with his openness to the president-elect’s policies and his rhetorical shift on immigration. “Those who don’t like it, they will cancel me,” Adams said, “and I say cancel me, I’m for America.”
In another appearance on NPR’s Morning edition, Adams all but took back his comments from Tuesday’s briefing about the Constitution when challenged by Michael Hill, saying that “everyone has a right to the protections of the Constitution,” and claimed that his comments were meant in the context of “repeat offenders.”
“Even for undocumented migrants?” Hill pressed. “Even for undocumented migrants,” the mayor conceded.
