OAN Staff Blake Wolf
5:05 PM – Friday, January 17, 2025
Troubled New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that he met with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Friday.
Adams (D-N.Y.) revealed the two discussed strategies to bring back manufacturing jobs back to the Big Apple and the ongoing Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal, while making clear that the visit did not involve discussing Adams’s ongoing legal case.
“President Trump and I had a productive conversation about New York’s needs and what’s best for our city, and how the federal government can play a more helpful role in improving the lives of New Yorkers,” a statement from the mayor’s office read.
“While we briefly touched on a number of issues, we specifically focused on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and how it will have a positive impact on public safety in our country; how we can bring manufacturing jobs back to New York, particularly in the Bronx; and how we can continue to make federal investments in New York City, especially when it comes to infrastructure,” the statement continued.
Adams’s visit with Trump comes just days prior to Inauguration Day, giving the incoming 47th president the power to issue a pardon to the current mayor of New York City.
Trump has previously expressed interest in potentially issuing a pardon to Adams, who indicated that he was targeted by the Biden Administration after stating that President Joe Biden’s migrant crisis would “destroy New York City.”
“I was targeted because of my stance to protect the city from the migrants and asylum seeker issues that we are facing,” Adams recently stated. “And I have a legal team that [is] going to pursue every avenue to get the justice that I deserve.”
New York City has seen city services pushed to a breaking point as hundreds of thousands of migrants have flooded into the city seeking services since 2022, prompting Adams to speak out against Biden’s disastrous border crisis.
Adams was previously indicted on five charges by a federal grand jury in September, including bribery, wire fraud, soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, and conspiracy charges.
Adams has maintained his innocence throughout, claiming that he “did not break the law.”
The recent meeting with Trump led Adams’s political opponents to question whether he met with Trump for the good of New Yorkers, or for the sake of cozying up with the incoming administration.
“Who is this meeting for, New Yorkers or Eric Adams? Our city has too many problems right now for us to worry about if he’s fighting for New Yorkers or a hypothetical pardon for himself,” wrote former city comptroller Scott Stringer on X.
“No one believes that Eric Adams sneaked off to Mar-a-Lago to advocate for the needs of any New Yorkers other than his own,” added state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.
Adams attempted to calm concerns in second half the Friday’s statement, stating “To be clear, we did not discuss my legal case, and those who suggest the mayor of the largest city in the nation shouldn’t meet with the incoming president to discuss our city’s priorities because of inaccurate speculation or because we’re from different parties clearly care more about politics than people.”
“Like I’ve always done, I will take every opportunity possible to advocate for New Yorkers and our city, and after our discussion, I strongly believe there is much our city and the federal government can partner on to make New York City safer, stronger, and more affordable. I thank President Trump for his time and attention and look forward to working with him to benefit all New Yorkers,” the statement concluded.
Adams has also sat down with Trump’s appointed border czar Tom Homan, where the two discussed potentially working together to rewrite N.Y.C’s sanctuary city laws impacting the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) ability to deport illegal immigrants.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
