Trump is weighing New York City Mayor Eric Adams for the role of U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (center) was in attendance at the inauguration ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025, where Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States
The political career of Eric Adams, once heralded as a symbol of pragmatic leadership and the future of the Democratic Party, has come to an abrupt and humbling halt. The New York City mayor has formally ended his bid for reelection, a dramatic decision that reshapes the city’s political terrain and underscores the unforgiving realities of electoral politics in America’s largest metropolis.
Adams made his announcement in a subdued video posted on X, his tone signaling resignation more than defiance. “Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign,” he declared. He placed blame on two key factors: the relentless swirl of media speculation that undermined his credibility and the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s decision to withhold millions of dollars in matching funds, a ruling that effectively crippled his campaign’s financial viability. Without the resources to mount a credible effort, Adams conceded that his path forward had closed.
Behind the scenes, however, his exit was shaped by broader pressures. Reports surfaced that Adams had been exploring opportunities beyond City Hall, including possible appointments in a second Trump administration or lucrative roles in the private sector. Such discussions, according to political insiders, were linked to an effort to clear the way for former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has been staging a controversial political comeback. Cuomo, though still tainted by his resignation in disgrace years earlier, now stands as the most viable challenger to Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist and State Assembly member, has emerged as the defining figure of this race. His campaign built on pledges to freeze rents and raise taxes on the wealthy to fund sweeping social programs has electrified progressive voters but alarmed the city’s business class. For corporate leaders, landlords, and Wall Street interests, Adams’ withdrawal has deepened fears that Mamdani now has a clear path to City Hall. With November’s election approaching, the prospect of New York embracing a bold, left-leaning experiment has become more likely than ever.
In his farewell message, Adams stopped short of endorsing any rival but issued a broader warning about the moment. “Extremism is growing in our politics,” he cautioned. “New Yorkers must choose leaders not by what they promise, but by what they have delivered.” The comment appeared to be aimed at both Mamdani’s ideological vision and Cuomo’s reputation for political opportunism.
The withdrawal caps months of political decline for Adams. Poll after poll placed him in fourth place, well behind Mamdani’s commanding lead. A recent Suffolk University CityView poll showed Mamdani with 45 percent support, Cuomo at 25 percent, Republican Curtis Sliwa at 9 percent, and Adams languishing at 8 percent. Analysts noted that when Adams and Sliwa were factored out of the race, Cuomo’s numbers surged, narrowing Mamdani’s lead considerably a scenario that heightened calls from Democratic power brokers and business leaders for Adams to bow out.
The clamor reached the national stage. President Donald Trump, weighing in as both a candidate and power broker, openly stated that he wanted “two candidates to drop out” to prevent Mamdani’s victory, warning he did not want “a communist mayor of New York City.” Trump’s intervention underscored the unusual visibility of a municipal contest that now carries implications far beyond the five boroughs.
For Adams, the fall from promise has been swift and unforgiving. When he took office in January 2022, he was hailed as New York’s second Black mayor, a former police officer who could bridge the city’s racial, political, and economic divides. At one point, he was spoken of as a future national leader for the Democrats. Yet his tenure was quickly consumed by scandal, investigations, and the perception of mismanagement.
In 2024, Adams made history as the first sitting New York City mayor in modern times to be indicted on corruption charges. Though the Trump Justice Department later dropped the case, the damage was done. His inner circle became synonymous with impropriety: senior aides resigned under investigation, close allies were indicted, and stories of questionable campaign dealings dominated headlines.
The scandals that surfaced this summer only deepened the rot. A Turkish-born businessman tied to Adams’ case was sentenced for making illegal campaign contributions. Days later, Adams’ longtime ally Winnie Greco who had already resigned amid a corruption probe sparked fresh controversy after handing a reporter a bag of potato chips with $300 cash stuffed inside during a campaign event, fueling speculation of attempted bribery. Around the same time, Adams’ former chief aide, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, was indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on charges of bribery and corruption.
Although Adams could point to tangible policy achievements reductions in violent crime, rezoning initiatives to spur housing development, and modest improvements in public safety they were consistently overshadowed by the headlines about scandal. By March 2025, his approval ratings had sunk to a 30-year low, making his reelection prospects all but impossible.
His departure from the race does not erase his name from the ballot, but it does mark the effective end of his mayoralty as a serious political force. For Adams, who once stood at the center of national Democratic conversations, the retreat is a sobering conclusion to what was supposed to be a transformative tenure.
Now, the city’s political focus narrows to a looming clash between Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo. For New Yorkers, the race presents a stark choice: embrace the bold progressive vision of a democratic socialist promising systemic change, or return to the familiar, if polarizing, leadership style of a former governor seeking redemption. Adams’ exit has cleared the stage for that showdown one that will shape the future of New York City for years to come.
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