Eric Adams continues to be one of the most outspoken Democrats critical of the immigration crisis. The mayor of New York City repeatedly targeted the Biden administration for its management of the border and its subsequent impact on the Big Apple. This time, he made headlines suggesting that immigrants should work as lifeguards because they are “excellent swimmers.”

His statements took place in the middle of a press conference when he was asked precisely about the shortage of lifeguards as the summer approaches.

The mayor analyzed the question and said that the situation could improve, “if we had a plan for migrants and asylum seekers that indicates the jobs we have in high demand, we could accelerate.”

“How do we have a large body of people that are in our city, and country, that are excellent swimmers and, at the same time, we need lifeguards -- and the only obstacle is that we won’t give them the right to work to become a lifeguard?” he stated, thus unleashing the controversy.

Commentator Dana Loesch quickly responded to the mayor and added some recent statements by Governor Kathy Hochul.

“So the NY Governor thinks black kids in the Bronx don’t know what computers are, and the mayor thinks illegal immigrants should be lifeguards because they’re “excellent swimmers.’ The Republican Party should make ads with these crazy elements,” he wrote on his X, formerly Twitter, account.

By the end of 2023, Adams faced historically low approval ratings, including the worst evaluation ever recorded for the Democratic mayor. Adams only had 28% approval, against 58% disapproval. The last time Quinnipiac had recorded such low numbers for the mayor of New York was in 2003, when Michael Bloomberg, then a Republican, recorded a 31% positive image, compared to 60% unfavorable.

“There is no good news for Mayor Adams in this poll. Voters not only give him poor marks for the job he is doing at City Hall, their opinions of his character have softened. As the city faces widespread budget cuts and faces the immigrant crisis, the headlines about a federal investigation of the mayor’s 2021 campaign and a sexual assault accusation made against him 30 years ago are taking their toll,” said Mary Snow, deputy director of surveys at Quinnipiac University.