‘Not surrendering’: NYC Mayor Eric Adams targets Zohran Mamdani; dismisses exit rumors

Eric Adams (AP)

New York City mayor Eric Adams on Friday reaffirmed that he will not step down from his reelection bid, emphasising his commitment to the race amid reports suggesting that he has been approached about a potential role in a future Trump administration.“I am in this race. And I am the only one who can beat Mamdani,” he said while referring to the democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.“How many times have I been told throughout this journey to step aside, to surrender, to give up, to give in,” he said. “That’s the same thing we tell everyday New Yorkers. Everyday New Yorkers are not giving up, are not giving in, are not surrendering, so their mayor is not going to do that.”Close advisers to US president Donald Trump had been working on a plan to nominate Adams as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, hoping the move would persuade him to drop his struggling reelection bid, said four people familiar with the talks, as cited by the New York Times.The effort was reportedly pushed by Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff, a Trump aide, who met Adams in Florida this week and spoke with people in the mayor’s circle.The plan, however, appeared to stall by late Friday amid political backlash and growing public criticism of any such deal. Adams held a press conference on Friday afternoon, making it clear that he was not stepping aside.He firmly declared he would stay in the race and dismissed his rivals as “spoiled brats.” “He is free to do what he wants,” Trump said regarding Adams, shortly after the latter made the announcement.The US president went on to comment on the broader race, suggesting that former Governor Andrew Cuomo would have a viable chance against Zohran Mamdani in a direct, one-on-one contest. However, he noted that with multiple challengers in the field, defeating Mamdani would be unlikely.Trump has said previously that he does not want to see Zohran Mamdani, 33, become mayor of the nation’s largest city. He said he would prefer that two of the other leading candidates, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who, like Adams, is running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, step aside to clear the way for a direct, one-on-one race against Mamdani.