NYC Mayor Adams Says in Tucker Carlson Interview That Democrats Abandoned Him

New York City Mayor Eric Adams leaves the federal court after being charged with bribery and illegally soliciting a campaign contribution from foreign nationals, in New York City on Oct. 2, 2024. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that the Democratic Party “left” him and the working class behind, during an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that aired on Tuesday.

“People often say, ‘You don’t sound like a Democrat. You seem to have left the party,’” Adams told Carlson. “No, the party left me, and it left working-class people.”

Throughout the interview, Adams tied his indictment on bribery and corruption charges to his decision to speak out against the illegal immigrant surge in New York City.

He claimed those who push back on “the norm” within the Democratic party get “demonized.”

Adams was indicted in September 2024 on charges of taking bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources.

The charges include accepting improper valuable benefits, including luxury international travel, from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him.

The indictment alleges that Adams not only accepted but also sought out illegal campaign contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign.

The mayor has denied the allegations against him and pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Adams told Carlson that he felt there were people within the “orbit” of the Justice Department under the Biden administration who felt he was “not a good Democrat” after he raised concerns about the “onslaught” of migrants into the city and various failed border policies.

Those failed policies ultimately cost the city $6.5 billion in clothing, food, and accommodation for migrants, he said.

The mayor also said former President Joe Biden and his aids had “basically” told him to “be a good Democrat” when he raised concerns over the alarming number of illegal immigrants arriving in the city and the impact it was having on the ground.

“You know, one of [Biden’s] aids told me that, ‘Listen, this is like a gallstone, it’ll pass. It’ll hurt now, but it’ll pass,’” Adams said.

Adams Attends Trump Inauguration

Adams traveled to Florida last week to meet with then-President-elect Donald Trump, just days before the Republican was sworn into office for a second term.

In a statement issued shortly after his visit, Adams described the meeting as a “productive conversation” that focused on the city’s needs and how the incoming administration could play a role in improving the lives of New Yorkers.

The meeting came amid growing speculation that the mayor was seeking a possible pardon from the president for the corruption charges he is facing; something that Trump has signaled he is open to doing.

Adams insisted that he and Trump did not discuss the mayor’s legal case during their meeting in Florida.

On Monday, Adams also canceled various planned public appearances at Martin Luther King Jr. Day events across New York, opting instead to attend Trump’s inauguration.

Dozens of recently arrived illegal immigrants camp outside of New York's Roosevelt Hotel, which has been made into a reception center, as they try to secure temporary housing in New York City, on Aug. 1, 2023. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

That decision drew criticism from Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, who wrote on X that New Yorkers “deserve a Mayor who puts our city’s wellbeing above his own exoneration.”

Elsewhere, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander wrote on X: “Imagine if Mayor Adams applied the same focus to making our city safer and bringing down our cost of living as he does to getting himself a pardon.”

Adams defended attending Trump’s swearing-in ceremony in a statement on X, calling it a “sacred American tradition.”

“Our country has been through so much, and every president has the honor and responsibility to protect and lead the American people,” he said. “On MLK Day, like Reverend Dr. King said, we must put partisan politics aside to do what’s best for our country.”

The Democrat added that he believes much can be achieved by working alongside the new Trump administration to “support our city’s values and fight for New Yorkers.”

Adams is seeking reelection in June.

A Manhattan judge has scheduled his legal trial to start in April.