President Trump may be doing everything he can to save his hometown from having a socialist mayor. Eric Adams, the current mayor of the Big Apple, has emerged as the focus of backchannel discussions with President Donald Trump’s circle over a possible nomination as U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, according to The New York Times. The maneuver, led by real estate magnate and Trump confidant Steve Witkoff, is widely seen as an effort to nudge Adams out of the 2025 mayoral race, reshaping the field and improving former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s prospects against Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani.
The negotiations, described as fluid and far from finalized, included a recent private meeting between Adams and Witkoff in Florida. Adams, who is seeking reelection as an independent after bypassing the Democratic primary, has insisted publicly that he intends to serve a second term. Yet in conversations with allies, he has admitted weighing scenarios in which he might either resign early or complete his term before moving to Riyadh.
Trump has privately told advisers he favors streamlining the mayoral contest into a two-way race, betting Cuomo could consolidate moderate voters in a showdown with Mamdani, a democratic socialist who has pitched government-run grocery stores in the city. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa has reportedly been approached with similar entreaties to stand down, but he has rebuffed them outright. Both Adams and Cuomo draw support from the same bloc of moderate and working-class New Yorkers, raising the risk of splitting votes in a crowded field.
The overture has sparked unease within Democratic ranks, particularly given the backdrop: Trump’s Justice Department dropped federal corruption charges against Adams earlier this year. Adams defends his outreach to Trump as pragmatic, insisting it helps secure federal resources for New Yorkers.
But desperate times call for desperate measures. Earlier in the week The New York Post reported that Mandami has surrounded himself with “young, privileged, radicals.” The newspaper noted that “Out of roughly 20 operatives in Mamdani’s inner circle, eight are under 36 years old.
Three of those politicos have ties to Soros, the progressive activist and investor — and about half a dozen grew up in million-dollar pads, according to Zillow estimates, with access to celebrities and private schools.
One of Mamdani’s closest operatives, Morris Katz, is apparently keenly aware that his youth could be a detriment to his job. He lied to the New York Times and a slew of other outlets about being 28, when he’s actually 26 years old.”
Adams abruptly canceled a public appearance on Friday, fueling speculation, while his team offered no comment. Whether the talks collapse or materialize, the outcome could alter both the mayoral race and the broader political balance in America’s largest city as the 2025 election cycle gathers momentum.
[Read More: Cuomo Looks To Back Away From Trump]
