“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin asked Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams Friday if he has “embraced” President-elect Donald Trump in the hopes of receiving a legal favor regarding the current charges against him.
Federal prosecutors with the Southern District of New York charged Adams with five-count bribery and fraud charges in September, alleging that he “sought and accepted improper valuable benefits” from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official for nearly a decade. Hostin asked Adams during “The View” to respond to critics’ claims that he has “embraced” Trump in order for the president-elect to either drop the charges or issue a pardon in the event that he is found guilty.
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“But critics are suggesting that you have recently embraced Trump, perhaps because you want either the charges dropped or perhaps a pardon from President-elect Trump. What’s your response to those critics?” Hostin asked.
“You know, I think nothing is more challenging than not being able to defend yourself in public … I said it over and over again, I did nothing wrong,” Adams said. “I spent 40 years of my life, 22 of them as a police officer, protecting the children and families of the city. I’m consistent of that, I’ve lived my life the way I expect everyday New Yorkers are supposed to live their life.
“I have a legal team, they’re going to manage that case,” Adams continued. “My job is to do what I’ve done since January 1, 2022, make sure crime goes down in this city, record number of housing that’s built in this city, turn around our economy and make sure as you leave this place that you can enjoy the safety of this city. That’s my job, I’ve lived up to that. And the challenges that we face in life, can you continue to do that job that you were elected to do? And the numbers are clear, I’m doing that every day.”
Prosecutors alleged in the 57-page indictment that Adams “simply and specifically” violated the law by accepting illegal campaign contributions through straw donations during his mayoral run in 2021. A Turkish official who allegedly paid a straw donation to Adams’ campaign gave the mayor free or discounted travel on a Turkish airline to several international locations in exchange for Adams agreeing to have a diplomatic outpost from the country established in the city.
Adams angered many New York Democrats by stating it is “insulting” for members of his own party to label Trump a “fascist” and compare him to former Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The New York City mayor called on the American public to “tone down the rhetoric” ahead of the 2024 election and unite as a nation.
“I speak to my mayors across the country, and they talk about these real problems we’re having. And with all that’s going on to everyday New Yorkers, we’re asking questions that, ‘Is someone a fascist?’ or ‘Is someone a Hitler?’ That’s insulting to me. That is insulting,” Adams said in late October. “I’m not going to engage in that. Everyone needs to turn down the rhetoric. Because after Election Day, we still have to be the United States and not the divided states.”
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Trump publicly thanked Adams for his remarks at his historically large Oct. 27 rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City, calling the mayor “really great” and stating that he has gone “through a hard time” with his legal troubles.
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