NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Mayor Eric Adams reacted Friday to reports and speculation that the Trump administration is considering him for various roles, including ambassador to Saudi Arabia, saying he’s still running for mayor but “will always listen” to opportunities to serve.
In a statement, Adams said: “Serving New Yorkers as their mayor is the only job I’ve ever wanted. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made lowering crime, improving schools, building housing, and cutting costs for working families — and I remain the best person to lead this city forward.”
The statement continued: “While I will always listen if called to serve our country, no formal offers have been made. I am still running for reelection, and my full focus is on the safety and quality of life of every New Yorker.”
Meanwhile, Adams' campaign said he would make an announcement at 4:30 p.m. Friday from Gracie Mansion on "the future of his campaign."
The New York Times and several other news outlets reported Friday that President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has been trying to find a role for the mayor to eliminate candidates and turn the mayoral election into a two-man race between frontrunner Zohran Mamdani and runner-up Andrew Cuomo. The discussions reportedly include the position of Adams as ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Adams met with Witkoff, a former real estate developer in New York, during a trip to Florida earlier this week, a person briefed on the discussions told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It was unclear what specifically was discussed.
A source told 1010 WINS on Friday that no offer has been made and that no negotiation is currently underway for a position.
On Thursday, Trump said that “I don’t think you can win unless you have one-on-one” between Mamdani and one of the three candidates opposing him—Cuomo, Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
“I would like to see two people drop out,” the president said, without specifying who among the candidates opposing Mamdani he thinks should exit the race.
Mamdani—a democratic socialist who defeated Cuomo by a notable margin in the June Democratic primary—said reports of the Trump administration considering a job for Adams to clear the candidate field was “the reason that so many New Yorkers are fed up with politics as they know it.”
Sliwa—who has been pulling third after Mamdani and Cuomo—said earlier this week, “I’m the only candidate on a major party line who can defeat Mamdani, and I’m committed to carrying this fight through to Election Day.”
In an interview, former Gov. David Paterson said he spoke with the mayor on Wednesday morning. Adams told him he wanted to remain in the race but has received offers, according to Paterson.
“He said, ‘Listen, they say I have some offers. I have a lot of offers.’ Then he started laughing. And he was saying that, you know, he really doesn’t want to leave and he’s trying to work that out so he doesn’t have to,” said Paterson, who has endorsed Adams for reelection.
“He didn’t get specific about it, but I got that in his heart of hearts, he really wants to stay. But I also got that, even though he didn’t say it, that the odds can’t be very good,” he added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.