Eric Adams says unnamed ‘political opportunists’ want to see him crash

New York City Mayor Eric Adams claimed that “political opportunists” intent on derailing his administration were behind a flurry of unsubstantiated rumors exchanged over the weekend that he was on the brink of an indictment.

“I think that some of the folks who are calling you guys on the weekend and yelling you know what’s happening to Eric and what’s going to happen to Eric are feeding this,” the mayor told reporters. “There are those who are political opportunists, that from the day I was elected, no matter what we did, they did everything to try to derail our city. And they’ve been consistent.”

It wasn’t the first time he’s made such a claim. Opening his monthly radio show over the weekend, Adams told listeners that opponents have levied “baseless accusations” about the conduct of his campaign and administration as federal investigators examine whether the mayor’s 2021 campaign accepted illegal donations from the Turkish government. “I cannot be any clearer: I have done nothing unethical or illegal,” Adams had said during the Sunday show. “But despite all this, there are powerful individuals who care more about politics than people, and I am in their way, so they attack and smear and try to tear us down.”

Speaking to reporters at his weekly media briefing, Adams doubled down on what he’d said about political opportunists’ intentions. He and Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy said people – not reporters, but those who’ve been speaking with reporters – were spreading rumors over the weekend about an imminent indictment when in reality they have no idea what is happening “in the court of law.”

But Adams declined to name the “political opportunists” he’s said are trying to take him down beyond clarifying he was not referring to federal investigators who “are doing their job.”

It’s true that Adams hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing. The criminal investigation is ongoing, although the seizure of the mayor’s electronic devices last month indicated that there could be strong evidence that at least someone has broken the law, according to former federal prosecutors. Rumors that he’d be indicted Monday turned out to be false.

Regardless, it hasn’t exactly been a rosy week for the mayor. Blowback to unpopular budget cuts, the ongoing migrant humanitarian crisis, and federal investigation has been reflected in recent polling. At 28%, Adams’ approval rating sunk to the lowest it’s been for any New York City mayor since 1996, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. Talk of mayoral challengers has intensified as discussions of who could unseat the mayor in 2025 have become commonplace. 

Still, Adams said he remains focused on leading the city, adding that he’s proud of his ability to compartmentalize issues.

“There are people who wake up every day and say ‘how do I get the pilot of this plane to crash.’ These guys are on the plane. People should be praying for me to land the plane,” Adams said. “I’m focused. I got a great team – we know our mission.”