New York City Mayor Eric Adams has only been in office since January 1, 2022, but a new report indicates that the mayor of the Big Apple may already be considering a higher office in 2024.
On Saturday, the New York Post reported that sources close to Adams have claimed that the mayor is seriously considering making a presidential run, and is also being encouraged to do so by Republicans in the city.
“Eric has told me repeatedly that he thinks that he has a platform to run for national office, for president in 2024,” the unnamed source told the Post. “He has said that repeatedly. He thinks New York is a national platform. He thinks the national party has gotten too far to the left and he thinks he has a platform to win.”
One Republican official in New York claimed he told Adams that he could have a real chance, too, the Post added.
“I said you really have to consider that you are young enough where you will have a life after the mayoralty and if you solve the crime problem there would be a lot of interest in a big city Democrat, African American with progressive values but who mediated the crime problem in a major city,” he said.
Adams, for his part, denied the story completely.
“That’s a silly, silly story. I never had a conversation about that and I love being mayor, and you can run the country from New York City,” Adams told the paper. “I’m the mayor. That’s all I’m focused on.”
While Adams may think he can run the country from his hometown, polls indicate that his own residents don’t believe he is doing an adequate job running the city, let alone an entire nation.
In early May, New York 1 reported that Adams held a 43% approval rating and 37% disapproval rating amongst New Yorkers. “But that represented a downward trend from the last poll in February, when his job approval was 46-27,” the media outlet added.
“The shift may be due to a persistent rise in crime, which about half of voters say is the most urgent issue facing the city,” NY also speculated. “And their confidence in Adams to stem the tide appears to be shrinking in the face of high-profile crimes like last month’s subway shooting.”
The majority of New Yorkers appear to disapprove of how Adams is handling crime. According to NY 1, 37% approve of his job handling crime while 54% disapprove. In February, 49% approved, while 35% disapproved.
Yet, Chris Coffey, co-CEO of the political group Tusk Strategies, told the Post that Adams could have a shot at the highest office in the land if he gets crime under control.
“He is one of the best known black elected officials in the country,” Coffey said. “The play works if Adams makes progress on crime and the president decides not to run. I think he would be crazy not to consider it.”