Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) is questioning Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D-NY) motivations in her consideration of removing New York City Mayor Eric Adams for his alleged “quid-pro-quo” with the Trump administration.
Malliotakis, the only House Republican representing a portion of New York City, posted on X Tuesday night that “the Governor is wrong here and is being motivated by politics not law.” Hochul met with local and national Democratic leaders in New York on Tuesday to discuss Adams’s future.
“As often as I’ve criticized Mayor Adams and disagreed with his policies, the Governor is wrong here and is being motivated by politics not law,” Malliotakis wrote. “She is rushing to remove him because he is working with the Trump Administration to rid our city of dangerous foreign criminals and gangs. The real question is why is Governor Hochul going to such great lengths to protect criminals in our country unlawfully who have preyed on New Yorkers?”
The Republican congresswoman is showing support for Adams during a time when the mayor is hemorrhaging Democratic allies. Several of his deputy mayors stepped down on Monday, and city power players, such as New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, called for Eric Adams to leave his office.
“He now must prioritize New York City and New Yorkers, step aside and resign,” the speaker said in a statement. “This administration no longer has the ability to effectively govern with Eric Adams as mayor.”
New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins also called for him to “step aside.”
Hochul was scheduled to meet with City Comptroller Brad Lander, Rev. Al Sharpton, Adrienne Adams, and House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Tuesday.
“It’s a deeply disturbing development,” Jeffries said of the deputy mayors’ resignations. “Mayor Adams has a responsibility to decisively demonstrate to the people of New York City that he has the capacity to continue to govern in the best interest of New Yorkers, as opposed to taking orders from the Trump administration.”
Adams is more centrist than many of his 2025 mayoral challengers, making it likely that he will work with Republicans. Republicans could have little motivation to call for Adams to step down when a more progressive politician could take his place.
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Hochul has the power to remove Adams if she chooses to do so.
The Trump administration recently ordered the Southern District of New York to drop the corruption case against Adams. The acting U.S. Attorney, Danielle Sassoon, refused and later resigned.
