Adams says goodbye

Mayor Eric Adams gave something of a farewell address on Tuesday, lauding his administration’s accomplishments and bashing his haters. Ed/Reed Mayoral Photography Office 

By Ryan Schwach

Mayor Eric Adams gave what is expected to be one of his last addresses as mayor on Tuesday, lauding his administration’s accomplishments while taking shots at his haters and critics.

In a speech in the City Hall rotunda on Tuesday, Adams downplayed his federal indictment and took shots at his opponents and the media, all while passionately defending his record during his four years in office.

“I am just Eric,” Adams said, describing himself as “perfectly imperfect.”

“So many mayors want to be filtered, they want to pretend who they are and act like they are perfect,” he said. “I am not.”

Adams, who came into office in the middle of the COVID pandemic in 2022, encountered several challenges and hiccups in his time in office.

His earliest months in office were marked by his administration’s controversial handling of the migrant crisis and the economic hurdles that came with it. His later years in office were scarred by political scandal, which included criminal indictments brought against him and several of his top aides.

During his remarks on Tuesday, Adams downplayed those legal issues, choosing to focus on what he sees as his administration's accomplishments, which he claims often went ignored.

“They talk about the first [mayor] being indicted, but damn it, don't miss the other first that this man has been able to accomplish,” Adams said. “History is not selectively picking out one piece that fits into your narrative. History is showing the totality of what an individual does.”

The mayor celebrated his City of Yes housing initiative, arguably his largest policy win. He also touted lowering crime numbers and other economic accomplishments.

“The first mayor to do dyslexia screening, the first mayor to bring down crime to the record levels that we have, the first mayor to build more housing than any man in history,” he said. “Why don't you give me some of my other firsts?”

Adams also acknowledged the high-ranking members of his administration, many who stayed on while Adams, and many of their predecessors, faced scandal and legal troubles.

“When I had four deputy mayors walk out the door and people were crossing their fingers, burning candles, praying that this is the end of Eric Adams, these guys stepped up,” Adams said. “They said, ‘We love this city, and we're going to be there. We're going to stand with you, and we're going to keep the work done’.”

“We leaned into the work, we knew what we were fighting,” he added.

As has been a hallmark of his mayorality, Adams included a number of swipes at his critics on Monday.

“There will always be haters, and our haters will be our waiters,” he said, calling back to one of his signature catchphrases. “There will always be those who would dislike us. There will always be those who hate themselves so much that they just want to be destructive.”

Adams officially leaves office in a little over two weeks.

The outgoing mayor has spent much of his lame duck days in office travelling, making trips to Israel, Uzbekistan and now Mexico.

The Mexico visit, which Adams left for on Monday, is not an official trip according to reports, and its nature is currently unknown.