New Yorkers interviewed on the street by the Washington Examiner weren’t sure if Adams was guilty or not, but most were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“You can think that everything they’re bringing against him is correct, or you can believe that he’s correct. Wherever you land is fine with me,” said a man named Thurston, who refused to give his last name. “It’s not important whether he’s mayor or not mayor. What’s important is if the city continues to run effectively.”
Adams and some supporters, notably including former President Donald Trump, have suggested his indictment on corruption charges is related to his outspoken criticism of the migrant crisis under President Joe Biden that has affected New York during his term.
“I watched about a year ago when he talked about how the illegal migrants are hurting our city, and the federal government should pay us, and we shouldn’t have to take them. And I said: You know what? He’ll be indicted within a year. And I was exactly right,” Trump said Thursday, adding the Department of Justice and the FBI have “dirty players.”
During a Tuesday press conference, Adams repeated that he will remain in office, comparing the indictment to other struggles he has faced throughout his life and saying that leaving now would send the incorrect message to his constituents.
“I wore a bulletproof vest protecting the children and families of this city,” he said. “I would never do anything to harm this city. I can do this job, and I have the right team to do this job.”
The conference, which Adams normally holds in New York City Hall’s blue room, was instead held in the much smaller rotunda and attended by an overflow crowd of media members. Adams refused to get into the specifics of the case.
Responding to a question from the Washington Examiner, the mayor said he’s glad to have anyone’s support — including Trump’s.
“I welcome support from every American,” Adams said. “Those who know me and know who I am and those who are just reading up on this. Every American in this great country I welcome support from.”
Alex Williams, a TikToker who spoke to the Washington Examiner on Monday and lives in the borough of Manhattan, had suspicions about Adams’s indictment — but not in relation to his immigration stance.
“Why don’t we ever hear about the scandals of white politicians?” he said. “On the other hand, we’ll have to wait until the trial comes out. If this is legitimate, we can’t have corrupt officials. But it’s a little suspect to me that it would happen to the first black New York City mayor.”
A woman named Susan, who also refused to give her last name, was ready to accept the seriousness of the charges and the investigation that led to them.
“I don’t think that they make those capriciously, so I would say they are quite serious,” she said. As to questions about the timing and Adams’s history with immigration and his claims of being a “target,” she was having none of it.
“I’m getting tired of ‘it’s a witch hunt,’ OK?’” she said.
Adams has pleaded not guilty, and he has so far rebuffed calls for his resignation. While members of both political parties have called for Adams to resign, he has also drawn parallels to members of both parties who have faced legal troubles.
In June, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) said that he “certainly question[s] the motives” of the Justice Department choosing to raid his home on the eve of a tough primary race in his district in 2022, when the Democrats had the chance to send a more left-wing member to Congress in his stead. In addition to his immigration criticism, Cuellar has also crossed the Democrats’ orthodoxies with his anti-abortion stance.
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Greg VanSchaack, who also spoke to the Washington Examiner in Manhattan on Monday, is waiting for more information before he makes up his mind.
“I think he’s innocent until proven guilty,” he said. “He says he’s not guilty, so we’ll have to say how that plays out. I think he was indicted by a grand jury, which means there must have been credible evidence. Timing to me means nothing in this case.”
