Despite Trump administration rumors, Eric Adams confirms he will remain in the NYC mayor’s race

Eric Adams confirmed that he will remain a candidate for mayor of New York City. Setting aside rumors about possible roles in the Trump administration, the current mayor dispelled doubts about his candidacy. In the run-up to November, Adams has faced pressure to step aside and allow a head-to-head matchup between Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo.

At a press conference held Friday afternoon, the mayor took aim at Cuomo and insisted he is the only one capable of stopping the socialist candidate. “I want to be clear with you. Andrew Cuomo is a snake and a liar. I am in this race and I’m the only one that can beat Mamdani,” he said.

In recent days, speculation had mounted that Adams might exit the race to accept a position in the Trump administration. Both The New York Times and the New York Post reported that the White House was considering offering him a diplomatic post—specifically, the ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia. According to Politico, he was also being considered for a role at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“In addition to that position and the Saudi ambassadorship, he has been offered diplomatic posts in several other Gulf states, according to another person with direct knowledge of the situation,” the outlet added.

Through a statement released by his spokesman, the mayor said he had not received any offers, although he left the door open to eventually accepting them.

"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," Adams said in a statement released by a spokesman.

"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," he added.

Adams' exit is expected to help former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who lost in the primary to Mamdani but decided to run as an independent. While polls show him in a distant second place, a recent Tulchin Research poll found him winning in a hypothetical head-to-head against the Socialist candidate.

According to their results, should Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa drop out of the race, Cuomo would prevail with 52% of the vote to Mamdani's 41%. "That poll is right," the state's former governor declared on the matter.