Mayor Eric Adams will meet with Donald Trump on Friday to discuss New Yorkers’ priorities, the latest sign of cooperation between the embattled Democratic leader and the Republican president-elect who long called the city home.
“Mayor Adams has made quite clear his willingness to work with President-elect Trump and his incoming administration on behalf of New Yorkers,” Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy said in a statement late Thursday.
While a functioning relationship between America’s biggest city and the federal government is essential, Adams — who saw many Democrats turn against him after his indictment on federal corruption charges in September — has shown more willingness to reach out to Trump than many top party officials.
Adams joined Trump at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event at Madison Square Garden in November and, unlike most Democrats, refused to criticize the president-elect’s most controversial cabinet picks.
In another sign of Adams’ separation from many Democrats, he’s said he’ll work with the Trump administration to find ways to deport violent criminals and allow more cooperation between federal and local law enforcement on immigration. Other Democratic leaders have vowed to oppose the incoming administration’s expected immigration crackdown.
For his part, Trump mused aloud during a news conference last month about pardoning the mayor over federal fraud and corruption charges, though he added that he didn’t know the details of the mayor’s case. At a charity dinner speech earlier in the campaign, he said he wished Adams “good luck with everything.”
“They went after you, man,” Trump said at the Al Smith dinner in October. “But you’re gonna win.”
