Members of the Trump administration have reportedly been considering offering New York City Mayor Eric Adams the role of ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
According to reports by The New York Times and Politico, the plan aims to convince Adams to drop out of the mayoral race in November to help defeat left-leaning Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani.
Adams, who was first elected as a Democrat, has been running in the mayoral race as an independent. His popularity has tanked amid allegations that he coordinated with the Trump administration to alleviate his legal woes.
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, took a surprise victory in the city’s Democratic primary in July, defeating favourite Andrew Cuomo, the former Democratic governor of New York.
A victory in the Democratic primary is considered the clearest path to victory in the race to lead the left-leaning city.
Cuomo has stayed in the race and is running as an independent, but his support base is seen as overlapping with Adams’s.
While President Donald Trump has had a contentious relationship with Cuomo in the past, he is considered the preferred candidate by his administration.
“The reported Trump administration meddling in the race is an affront to our democracy,” Mamdani said, highlighting the international scope of the campaign.
Critics have said his positions have led top members of the Democratic Party to keep him at arm’s length. Mamdani has run on an array of left-leaning policies, including saying city authorities would not cooperate with federal immigration agents.
Adams has publicly said he plans to stay in the race. The New York Times reported that Adams has been meeting regularly with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has been pushing the possible diplomatic position. It remained unclear how involved Trump has been in the process.
The mayor of the US’s largest city, with a population of nearly 8.5 million people, has been accused of cooperating with Trump’s deportation drive in exchange for the Justice Department dropping a corruption and bribery case against him. Adams has denied the quid pro quo, sparking further controversy in the mayoral race.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s popularity has declined significantly due to allegations that he coordinated with the Trump administration to alleviate his legal troubles.
Adams has been accused of accepting luxury travel benefits from wealthy Turkish businesspeople and a Turkish government official in exchange for influence over him. These benefits included free business-class flights, lavish hotel stays, and other gifts worth over $100,000.
Federal prosecutors have charged Adams with campaign finance, bribery, and conspiracy. The indictment alleges that Adams engaged in a long-running conspiracy to solicit and accept illegal campaign contributions from foreign donors and corporations. Adams has denied any wrongdoing and stated that he is not going to resign.
The controversy surrounding Adams’s alleged dealings with the Trump administration and the indictment against him may significantly impact the mayoral election.
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist candidate, has criticized Adams’s alleged cooperation with Trump’s deportation drive and accused him of undermining democracy. The outcome of the election remains uncertain, with Adams’s plans to stay in the race potentially affecting the results.
Adams has stated that Trump has not made any overtures to assist his re-election bid, and he is not counting on Trump’s help.
However, reports suggest that Adams has been meeting with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has been pushing the possible diplomatic position of ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
The situation surrounding Eric Adams’s mayoral campaign is complex, with multiple controversies and allegations affecting his chances of re-election.
The indictment against him and the reported plan to offer him a diplomatic position have sparked debate and criticism. The outcome of the mayoral election will likely depend on various factors, including the impact of these controversies on voters.