Eric Adams goes from the ‘Biden of Brooklyn’ to cozying up to Trump

The victor of a cutthroat primary for mayor in 2021, New York City’s Eric Adams rushed to embrace national political stardom.

The victor of a cutthroat primary for mayor in 2021, New York City’s Eric Adams rushed to embrace national political stardom. He declared himself the “face of the new Democratic Party” and, after an early invitation to the White House from President Joe Biden, dropped a line that now makes rival New York politicos snicker. “I am the ‘Biden of Brooklyn,’” Adams said. “I’m sure if you were to ask (the president), who is his favorite mayor, he’d clearly tell you, ‘It’s Eric.’” Now, on the cusp of Donald Trump’s return to office, Adams is largely an outcast in his own party. He started privately bashing Biden’s immigration policy and the influx of new migrants to the city within months of becoming mayor and, by 2023, publicly declared that “the president and the White House have failed New York City.” He will meet with the president-elect’s border czar, Tom Homan, on Thursday to discuss the incoming administration’s deportation plans. Adams had previously been compared to Trump by critics, who saw strains of the former president’s chaotic behavior and divisive nature in the retired police captain-turned-politician. But as Adams’ approval rating cratered and federal prosecutors began raiding the homes of his top aides, a new dynamic emerged. It came in the form of a 57-page indictment, unsealed in late September, containing five federal charges related to bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals. The mayor has denied any wrongdoing. But a trial looms and prosecutors are on a winning streak in New York.