NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Asked in interviews Friday if he'd rejoin the Republican Party, Mayor Eric Adams left open the possibility, saying "no matter what party I'm on or vote on, I'm going to push for American values."
The mayor—who is seen as a moderate Democrat and was enrolled as a Republican from 1997 to 2001—has appeared to align himself with some of President-elect Donald Trump's policies recently, and he greeted Trump at a UFC event at Madison Square Garden last month.
With some critics claiming he's adopted Republican talking points, he was asked on NY1 Friday if he'd consider rejoining the GOP—and didn't rule it out.
"The party that's the most important for me is the American party," the mayor said. "I'm a part of the American party. I love this country. This is the home of the free, the land of the brave. My 19-year-old [uncle] died on the fields of Vietnam protecting what this city and this country represents. And that's the party I'm going to always be a member of. And I did it as a police officer when I wore that bulletproof vest for 22 years, and I'm going to do it with this blue suit as the mayor of the City of New York."
Mayor Eric Adams (C) stands onstage during the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony in New York on December 4, 2024.KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images
Later during a PIX11 interview, he was asked to elaborate on the earlier remarks since "the headlines are going to be now that you haven't said no to becoming a Republican."
"I think that what people fail to realize is that I'm not motivated by headlines," Adams responded. "We need to move away from identifying, classifying ourselves as anything other than Americans. I'm an American, and I'm going to continue to say that. So no matter what party I'm on or vote on, I'm going to push for the American values."
"And I think America has told us, stop the squabbling, leaders, and start leading us out of the crisis that we're facing," he said.
The mayor added: "I've been a Democrat for many years, and I'm going to run for my reelection as a Democrat. But my focus is the American people and the people of New York City. And those who don't like it, they would cancel me. And I say, cancel me. I'm for America."
Adams told WINS Friday that he plans to sit down with Trump's border czar next week to discuss immigration and the migrant crisis, saying, "We both are concerned about those who are committing violent acts of violence in our city and country, and we could work together to resolve this problem."
Trump also defended Adams after the mayor was charged in a federal corruption indictment, saying at the Al Smith Memorial Dinner in October: "I know what it's like to be persecuted by the D.O.J. for speaking out against open borders. We were persecuted, Eric. I was persecuted, and so are you, Eric."
