In his first interview following a federal court appearance, Mayor Eric Adams joined NY1’s Inside City Hall to address his legal battle, the exodus of key City Hall staff, and his stance on public safety and immigration enforcement. Denying any wrongdoing, Adams emphasized his commitment to New York City and dismissed claims that his administration is in turmoil. The mayor defended his controversial remarks on crime and migration, reaffirming that lawbreakers—regardless of immigration status—should face consequences. As City Hall undergoes significant transitions, Adams assured New Yorkers that his administration remains strong and focused.
Mayor Adams Appears
on NY1’s “Inside City Hall”
Ayana Harry: And welcome back to Inside City Hall. As we’ve been telling you, our Cheryl Wills sat down with Mayor Eric Adams for his first interview after court today. And this was a wide ranging conversation about the future of his corruption case, the crisis at City Hall, congestion pricing and so much more. Here’s the first part of that conversation.
Cheryl Wills: Mr. Mayor, thanks for joining us. You stood before a judge, Judge Ho, in federal court today and addressed the potential dismissal of very serious charges against you. What did you say to Judge Ho today?
Mayor Eric Adams: I think one of the most significant aspects is that I had to swear under oath. A question that has been, I think, inappropriately put out there that was in some form of quid pro quo. Was I forced for my acknowledgement? Was I forced at anything? And under oath, I clearly stated I was not. And that was very important because what is put in the universe is not always facts.
We’re in an energy and a time where people just want to spread things. And you just have to remain disciplined and honest and [committed]. And I also stated to him, when he stated about the potentiality of charges returning, and I said, I can’t see it happen because I did nothing wrong. I did not break a law. And I’ve been committed to that in my entire life.
Wills: Your attorney also addressed the allegations of quid pro quo. What did he say?
Mayor Adams: Same thing. He said, I’m willing to swear in right now under oath and whoever’s making those allegations should be under oath. He was clear. And I think, as he eloquently put it, because the judge asked him, who is he talking about? And he says, it’s difficult to know it nowadays because there’s just so many rumors are running wild right now.
And this case has taken on so much attention internationally. People talk about it all the time, all the time. And Cheryl, the depth of what I went through, my family went through for 15 months, no American should go through that. And this is a moment I think all of us need to pause and ask the question, are we having a justice system that is just and right? And we should all ask that. It’s very important. And that’s what my attorney laid out today.
Wills: Many of your critics were troubled by your appearance with Tom Homan on Fox and Friends and the implication of this for that quid pro quo and him saying, you know, he’ll be up your butt. That disturbed a lot of your supporters, including the Reverend Al Sharpton, who said it appears that you’re being held hostage. Your response to that?
Mayor Adams: Well, a couple of things. One, Tom and I [were] ribbing each other prior to coming on the stage. We’re two ex-police officers, this is what we do. We joke at each other. Some of our commentary is, you know, it’s inappropriate if you’re on the stage. And he spoke with me, says, you know, Eric, we’re on TV. I should not have said that. I apologize to you.
Wills: And he apologized?
Mayor Adams: Yes. And he stated when he and when he was interviewed, I was joking with Eric, you know, and in a day and time where everyone is playing the word police and, you know, we’re trying to play got you.
Listen, was he trying to say something that was trying to be offensive? No, he was not. It was clear when we saw the two of us sit down together, there was a cordial interaction. We had several interactions and I was joking with him backstage, et cetera. So we understand that. But I’ve been very clear and I’m hearing people say over and over again, Eric, you’re saying something different now we have a new president in office. That is just not true.
Go back to January 22, 23, early 24. I will say the same thing. People who commit violent crimes in our city, documented or undocumented, need to be held accountable. And if you’re undocumented, after you serve your time, you should be removed from our country. And not only do I believe that, 79 percent of New Yorkers believe what I’m saying. You should not be preying on migrants and asylum seekers. You should not be preying on everyday New Yorkers.
You know what’s interesting, Cheryl? When I was in Ecuador, people were leaving Ecuador because of dangerous gangs. They came here to the country and into New York. And what did they see? They said, these are the gangs we were running away from. We didn’t want to leave our country. These gangs have really turned our country into a dangerous place.
Wills: I think the problem here is that many asylum seekers and their families who have nothing to do with criminal activity are now fearing for their safety. They’re afraid to send their children to school. They’re afraid to go to church. And many are afraid to go to work. Mr. Mayor, are you able to guarantee that ICE will never enter a New York City school or a church?
Mayor Adams: And look at that for a moment, because that’s so important. We have to ask ourselves, why are they afraid? Because some of the people who swear they want to help and protect asylum seekers are creating this hysteria. I’ve been very clear. Go to school. Go to the hospital if you need health care. Go to your houses of worship. Go to your jobs. I’ve been very clear on that.
Now, the border czar and ICE, they have made it clear, they’re going to carry out their mandate of enforcing immigration with or without the help of cities. They made it clear. And they have the authorization to do that. So if we are collaborating with those criminal elements, which is their highlight, then we are minimizing the amount of interaction with everyday migrants and asylum seekers.
So I don’t have the authorization to say that under no circumstances are they going somewhere. They have that authorization. But they have not been to any of our schools, any of our churches, any of our employment locations. That is what we should be looking at. And in addition to that, you can’t enter a school without a judicial warrant unless there’s exigent circumstances where something dangerous is taking place. And we’re very clear on that. And they are clear on that.
Wills: Four of your deputy mayors have resigned. They’re going to leave office next month, according to reports. And that’s leading quite a few city government officials to suggest that you’ve lost control of City Hall somehow, that your leadership is depleting. Your response to the critics?
Mayor Adams: Listen, love them. All four of them. Anne, Maria, Chauncey, Meera, you know, they dedicated and committed their lives not only to the city while they were working for me for three years, but in their field of expertise. And look at the records we have broken because of them. And I’m really proud of them. They’re moving on for probably a number of reasons. And it doesn’t matter. I spoke with them. I’m sure if you were to interview them, they would tell you, we want to thank Eric for the opportunity.
And, you know, we have a deep respect for each other.
They decided to move on. I mean, these are difficult times to govern right now. And you know, I respect the fact that they want to move on. But when people say that, okay, Eric, you’re losing control of City Hall, they said that after this indictment came down, we were supposed to fall apart. The city was in disarray.
Look what happened from the day the indictment came down. And I told New Yorkers, the attorney would handle the case. I’m going to handle the city and I’m going to fight for New Yorkers. We started to see City of Yes was passed. We’re seeing 20,000 illegal guns up the street, eight times we broke the record of how many jobs in our city, record after record, after record of the housing. I’m just disciplined. And I know that all of us are going to go through something. And if you stay committed in what you do, you could get the job done. I had an amazing team to do so.
We are going to be fine. And we’re going to look back over this moment, just the same hysteria we saw a couple of months, almost 15 months ago. We’re going to look back over this moment and see this guy, this blue collar working class mayor knows how to navigate tough times like every family member in this city. They do every day.
Wills: But four at one time, did that catch you by surprise?
Mayor Adams: No, I was hearing folks were saying that, you know, we’re looking to go sometime soon, sometime soon. And I don’t know the significance of four at one time. You know, like I said, I appreciate their service. I hate to lose them, not only for their professional capacity, but because I like them. And I said that more than once, I love my team and what they represent. And to lose four at one time is heartbreaking.
And you know, it’s so funny when I became mayor, I reflected on Mayor Koch because there was a year when Mayor Koch lost three deputy mayors at one time and two other senior staffers. So he lost five senior staffers at one time, you know, so I didn’t want to break his record by four. But, you know, we know in this tough job of city government, I’m not the first that [lost] a lot, even Mayor de Blasio in January, he lost a significant number of his senior leadership. This happens. But the question becomes, how is your bench? My bench is deep. We’re going to replace them with good talent.
Wills: Is Kaz Daughtry on that bench?
Mayor Adams: Oh, we’re going to announce it. We’re going to give you the breaking news right now.
Wills: Can you break some news right now? Is Kaz Daughtry going to be your deputy mayor of public–
Mayor Adams: He’s an excellent law enforcement person, but you know it’s always been my rule, when we make appointments, we will announce them.
Wills: You will not confirm or deny.
Mayor Adams: Right, but I’ll make sure the team calls you first and let you know.
Wills: I appreciate that.
February 19, 2025 , Manhattan, New York
Sources: NYC.gov , Midtown Tribune
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