NYC Mayor Eric Adams makes clear he is not part of the Trump ‘resist movement’

“There are some people who are just angry because the election didn’t turn out the way they want. And because of that, they just want this verbal war,” said Adams.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams praised President Donald Trump’s policies and declared that he will not join the “resist movement” against the 47th president amid recent mass protests of the Trump administration and Elon Musk across the country.

During a nearly 50-minute press conference with reporters on Tuesday, Adams, who announced last week he would no longer seek reelection as a Democrat but instead as an Independent, signaled he would continue to work with the Trump administration despite criticisms from Democratic opponents in the 2025 mayoral race and some city advocates.

“All those who are just saying ‘just fight him, resist, resist’ — I’m not part of the resist movement, I’m part of the produce movement,” said Adams. “That’s why we broke records in this city. That’s why we’re getting it done.”

He continued, “There are some people who are just angry because the election didn’t turn out the way they want. And because of that, they just want this verbal war. I don’t want a verbal war. I want to be able to produce for our city.”

Adams’ relationship with Trump has been highly scrutinized since meeting with then-President-elect Trump after the 2024 election and Trump’s public statements condemning federal prosecution against Adams for foreign bribery. Shortly after, Trump’s Department of Justice ordered criminal charges against Adams be dropped. Last week, a federal judge dismissed Adams’ charges without prejudice.

Adams’ cooperation with the Trump administration has been characterized by some Democrats as a quid pro quo. They argue that given the Trump administration’s involvement in handing Adams back his freedom, New York City residents can no longer trust him to have them in their best interests.

During his presser, Adams touted Trump’s immigration policies to “secure the border” and slightly nodded to the president’s controversial global retaliatory tariffs, which he said was a “very complex issue.”

“Wealth has been accumulated in the highest level of people in the country and I’m seeing low-income, working-class people are struggling every day,” Adams said. “So whatever we were doing. We need to think different.”

At least one issue was raised that Adams appeared willing to take the Trump administration to task on: the rescinding of more than $200 million in FEMA funds that President Joe Biden authorized as reimbursement for housing and serving migrants in the city. Adams said he is willing to take legal action.

“I fight for New Yorkers,” said Adams. “We are fighting for that $200 million…[it] belongs to us.”