Adams Abandons Tradition, Attacks Mamdani in Unprecedented Farewell
New York City Mayor Eric Adams shattered an unwritten tradition Tuesday by holding an unusual news conference featuring a Jay-Z theme song, a buried time capsule, and thinly veiled attacks on his successor before departing for Mexico without taking questions. The spectacle capped weeks of unprecedented behavior as Adams uses his final days in office to undermine Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s incoming administration.
Theatrical Exit and Sharp Criticism
The 90-minute event featured Adams unveiling a new theme song with Jay-Z vocals interspersed with his own voice describing administration highlights, screening a video about his life story, and displaying items for burial in a time capsule. Adams took shots at Mamdani without naming him, suggesting New York may soon see more protests outside houses of worship and homeless encampments.
When a reporter attempted to ask about his Mexico plans, Adams smiled and replied, “None of your business.” A mayoral spokeswoman called it a “personal trip” using no taxpayer money, though it remained unclear whether his police detail would accompany him. The trip marks his fourth international destination in three months.
Direct Attacks on Mamdani’s Policy Agenda
On Monday morning, Adams appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” to disparage Mamdani’s policy proposals, specifically attacking plans to decriminalize prostitution, close the Rikers Island jail complex as legally required, tax the wealthy, and implement the agenda of the Democratic Socialists of America.
“If he allows the agenda of the Democratic Socialists of America to be the platform of this city, we’re going to be in for some real problems,” Adams stated during the television interview.
Actions Beyond Words
Adams has moved beyond rhetoric to implement policies designed to obstruct Mamdani’s agenda. He opposes the mayor-elect’s plan to freeze rent on one million rent-stabilized units, characterizing it as threatening to small landlords and larger property owners’ ability to maintain buildings. Adams has not ruled out stacking the Rent Guidelines Board with his appointees before leaving office.
Executive Orders Targeting Israel Policy
Earlier this month, Adams signed an executive order preventing anyone with authority over city contracting from “engaging in procurement practices that discriminate against the State of Israel, Israeli citizens or those associated with Israel.” The order directly contradicts Mamdani’s stated support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and his belief that Israel should not exist as a Jewish state without equal rights for all residents.
Last-Minute Policy Moves
Adams’ administration moved last month to protect the contested Elizabeth Street Garden in Lower Manhattan by declaring it parkland, despite Mamdani’s stated intention to build affordable housing on the site. The mayor has also repeatedly criticized Mamdani’s plan to end sweeps of homeless encampments, including during Tuesday’s event.
On Monday, Adams appointed former Republican councilman Joe Borelli to the 15-member Panel for Educational Policy, which oversees New York City schools. The appointment, extending through June, is viewed as another obstacle to Mamdani’s education plans.
Borelli said his appointment had been discussed for months and that he would vote his conscience on issues. “The mayor is the mayor until the 31st of December at 11:59, and then it will be a new day for all New Yorkers,” Borelli said. “I’m going to be a New Yorker for the foreseeable future and am personally invested in Mayor Mamdani’s success.”
Disputing Election Results
In an interview with WNBC-TV, Adams challenged characterizations that Mamdani won in a landslide. “Forty-nine percent of New Yorkers said no to the D.S.A. and Zohran,” Adams said, referring to the Democratic Socialists of America.
Sharp Rebukes From Political Figures
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned Adams’ behavior as “inappropriate, unhelpful and unprecedented,” noting that he did not undermine Adams during the 2021 transition. “I don’t know why he would be doing something that’s actually divisive when the city needs unity,” said de Blasio, who faced criticism when speakers at his first inauguration criticized his predecessor, Michael Bloomberg.
State Senator Gustavo Rivera, a Bronx Democrat who served with Adams in the State Senate and supports Mamdani, delivered a scathing assessment: “The mayor should look at himself in the mirror and realize that the only person who led to his downfall and to the fact that he was not only not re-elected, but was such a disastrous mayor, was him. The reason I’m not disappointed in Eric is because you have to actually have expectations of someone to be disappointed in them.”
Mamdani’s Measured Response
Mamdani has maintained focus on his transition rather than engaging with Adams’ attacks. “New Yorkers have made it clear they’re ready for a new era of government that works every single day, without distraction, to deliver a more affordable city,” said Dora Pekec, a spokeswoman for the mayor-elect. “That’s where the mayor-elect’s focus lies.”
Mamdani has extended an invitation to Adams for the January 1 inauguration, though the outgoing mayor has given mixed signals about whether he will attend.
Historical Context and Precedents
Vincent Cannato, a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and author of “The Ungovernable City: John Lindsay and His Struggle to Save New York,” noted that American politics has traditionally emphasized governing rather than criticizing after elections. “I think Adams should show up,” Cannato said.
However, precedents exist for contentious transitions. Rudolph Giuliani and David Dinkins continued exchanging hostile remarks a decade after their first mayoral matchup. President Donald Trump criticized predecessor Joseph Biden at Trump’s January 2017 inauguration, and Trump later refused to attend Biden’s 2021 inauguration after losing reelection.
Adams’ Legacy Defense
Adams briefly acknowledged becoming the first modern-era New York City mayor to be indicted while in office, but urged New Yorkers to remember other aspects of his tenure. He cited his diverse administration, affordable housing construction, and crime reduction efforts as defining achievements.
“Talk about the first mayor being indicted,” Adams said. “But, dammit, don’t miss the other firsts this mayor has been able to accomplish.”
The Road to January 1
As Mamdani’s inauguration approaches, the contrast between the two mayors could not be starker. Adams, a former NYPD captain who positioned himself as a moderate Democrat focused on public safety and business interests, faces federal corruption charges that ended his reelection hopes. Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist state assemblyman, represents a dramatic ideological shift for America’s largest city.
The transition has exposed fundamental disagreements over housing policy, criminal justice reform, police funding, Middle East politics, and the proper role of government in addressing inequality. Whether Adams’ last-minute actions will meaningfully constrain Mamdani’s administration remains unclear, but they have certainly ensured an acrimonious conclusion to a troubled single term.
Mamdani’s advisers maintain that the mayor-elect’s plans will not be seriously affected by Adams’ actions or rhetoric. For his part, Adams seems determined to shape his legacy and challenge his successor’s mandate until the final moments of his mayoralty expire on December 31 at 11:59 p.m.
