New York City Mayor Eric Adams met with President-elect Donald Trump over lunch at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Friday afternoon.
NEW YORK (WABC) — Mayor Eric Adams met with President-elect Donald Trump over lunch in West Palm Beach, Florida on Friday afternoon.
Officials said they met for about an hour in the main dining room at the Trump International Golf Course.
Eric Trump, real estate executive Steve Witkoff, recently named special envoy to the Middle East, and the mayor’s former chief of staff and longtime advisor Frank Carone also joined the meeting.
In a statement following the meeting, Mayor Adams said that he and Trump had a “productive conversation about New York’s needs and what’s best for our city, and how the federal government can play a more helpful role in improving the lives of New Yorkers.”
Adams said they touched on a number of issues, but focused specifically on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and its impact on public safety, how to bring back manufacturing jobs to New York City and how they can continue to make federal investments in the city, especially regarding infrastructure.
The meeting also comes as Adams is under federal indictment and Trump has influence over the Justice Department.
In the statement, Mayor Adams said they “did not discuss my legal case, and those who suggest the mayor of the largest city in the nation shouldn’t meet with the incoming president to discuss our city’s priorities because of inaccurate speculation or because we’re from different parties clearly care more about politics than people.”
Adams added that he looks forward to working with Trump to “benefit all New Yorkers.”
The mayor has been careful with his words when speaking about the incoming president, who was convicted of 34 felonies.
It appears the two have been aligned since Adams’ indictment, which was part of a federal corruption probe that the mayor argues is political retribution.
The mayor requested Friday’s meeting after Adams presented his $114.5 billion budget on Thursday. He says the incoming administration has many unknowns.
While Adams says his focus is the city, there’s also another issue that may come up, his legal woes.
The president-elect commented on Adams’ case in December and was asked if he might issue a possible pardon.
“Yeah, I would. I think he was treated pretty unfairly. I haven’t seen the gravity of it all,” Trump said. “I mean, I have to see it because I don’t know all the facts.”
The meeting between Adams and Trump meeting has the mayor’s opponents in a frenzy.
Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a statement, “Now more than ever, it is essential for state and local governments to put their best foot forward. New York, unfortunately, isn’t ready to meet the moment.”
“Eric Adams should state immediately that he will not seek or accept a pardon from Donald Trump,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
“If it’s an agenda that speaks to issues that affect us New Yorkers, good for him,” said Scott Stringer, the city’s former comptroller, and mayoral candidate. “If it’s an agenda in search of a pardon, I got a problem with that.”
Ben Weinberg is with Citizens Union, an independent good government group. He says the mayor’s decision to leave key administration officials behind raises questions.
“The last thing we want to see is for a mayor or any mayor, make decisions about policy making and the benefit of New York City based on their own political future, in this case, their own legal future,” he said.
Adams planned to return to New York City on Friday night.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams met with President-elect Donald Trump over lunch at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Friday afternoon.
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