Eric Adams slams socialist Zohran Mamdani's ‘false promises' as sure to harm lower-income New Yorkers
A dubious Eric Adams slammed his main mayoral rival Zohran Mamdani's socialist proposals as a bunch of 'false promises' sure to harm the upstart's lower-income supporters.
Adams, in a newly released interview, made clear his disdain for Mamdani's arguably pie-in-the-sky solutions stemmed from his own hardscrabble childhood.
Advertisement
4 Mayor Eric Adams attacked mayoral rival Zohran Mamdani's 'false promises.'
Michael Nigro
'I truly believe the worst thing you can do as New Yorkers are struggling is to make broken promises,' he told The Post's Miranda Devine for her 'Pod Force One' podcast.
'I saw that as a child. My mother was raising six children. Oftentimes she would get those broken promises never to resolve the issues we were facing — and that is what (Mamdani's) doing,' Adams said.
Advertisement
Every week, Post columnist Miranda Devine sits down for exclusive and candid conversations with the most influential disruptors in Washington. Subscribe here!
'I think it's unfair to New Yorkers, and it's unfair to the direction that the city is moving in now, and it is in the right direction.'
The attack against Mamdani — who clinched the nomination of Adams' Democratic Party in the mayoral primary by running a campaign relentlessly focused on affordability — didn't stop there during the mayor's wide-ranging conversation with Devine.
4 Mamdani is the mayoral frontrunner.
James Messerschmidt
Advertisement
Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent on the 'Safe and Affordable' line, zeroed in on Mamdani's marquee proposals, arguing they simply won't work out in reality.
The socialist's promise to make buses free 'sounds good,' Adams acknowledged.
'But it costs $3 billion and mayors don't have the ability to raise income taxes,' Adams said.
Full Episode
Advertisement
'(Mamdani) stated he's going to raise income tax on the high 1% of New Yorkers, when at the same time he's saying that billionaires should not be in our city, so he can't raise the income taxes, so he's making these false promises.'
Likewise, Adams argued Mamdani's plan to build a city-owned grocery store in each borough and freeze rents on rent-regulated apartments will eventually end up hurting working-class New Yorkers.
4 Mamdani's campaign relentlessly focused on affordability.
Getty Images
'If the cost of running a building is higher than the rent roll of the building, then you're going to see eventually lack of repairs, lack of quality of life, and again, that is going to hurt low-income New Yorkers,' Adams said.
Hizzoner also knocked Mamdani's repeated support for shuttering Rikers Island in 2027 and opening the doors to controversial borough-based jails in the Big Apple.
Under that plan, though, whoever is in City Hall will have to relocate roughly 3,000 inmates, since Rikers has more than 7,000 people behind bars and the borough jails are only set to accommodate just over 4,000 accused criminals.
Advertisement
Mamdani has been scant on details on how to address the shortfall of beds with the Rikers replacement, only saying he'd work with the various district attorneys to release more people or enroll them in pretrial intervention.
4 Adams argues Mamdani's proposals will end up hurting working-class New Yorkers.
Lev Radin/Shutterstock
Adams, a former NYPD captain, likened the plan to empty Rikers to the state's 2019 bail reform legislation — which he maintains has let criminals run free in the city.
'If he empties out Rikers Island, those dangerous people are going to go back into the communities that they inflicted violence in in the first place, and they're largely black and brown communities,' Adams said.
Advertisement
'So, the individuals he's stating he wants to help, he's actually hurting.'
Adams knocked former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who signed bail reform into law. Cuomo is mounting a political comeback by running as an independent in the November mayoral election — after getting trounced by Mamdani in last month's Dem primary.
And the mayor took time to slam another rival, too, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
Advertisement
'When I look at the candidates that are in the race, one has no record,' he said, referring to Sliwa, who has never held an elected office.
'The other is running away from his records,' he said about Cuomo, 'such as bail reform of 15,000 of our seniors dying in nursing homes and other issues.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Fox News
Florida senator calls on New Yorkers who 'hate socialism' to move south with aerial ad
Florida Sen. Rick Scott flew an aerial ad across the skies of New York City on Saturday with a message encouraging residents to relocate to the Sunshine State to escape socialism, should Zohran Mamdani become mayor of the Big Apple. The banner was seen above Coney Island and Jones Beach as beachgoers soaked up the sun. "Hate socialism?" read Scott's aerial ad. "Us too! Move 2 FL." Scott addressed the aerial banner in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "While many New Yorkers are out enjoying the beach this weekend, we will be giving them a friendly reminder that in addition to our world class beaches, Florida is the state where you can escape socialism," said Scott, who headed the state as governor from 2011-2019. The Republican senator slammed New York City and the politics of Mamdani. "New York City once represented the American Dream – a city where anything was possible," Scott said. "Today, it has now become the city where only billionaires can prosper, Jewish students are attacked on campus, capitalism is shunned and radical socialists like Zohran Mamdani are celebrated." Mamdani handily won New York City's Democratic mayoral primary last month against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani is seen as a frontrunner in the race for City Hall, though many in the Democratic establishment have yet to fully embrace the socialist nominee. Scott said New York City reaped the rewards of capitalism, "the best system in the world," which is now "being villainized by the Democrats all across this country." "Democrats are working around the clock to discredit President Trump and tear down our country and rebuild it in their woke, radical image through socialist policies," the Republican said. "But, this isn't new. It's just an old, barbaric, discredited idea that's failed every time it's been tried. Just look at Cuba and Venezuela and the many families who fled those brutal regimes to live in Florida." Scott said that during his time in political office he worked to ensure that families in Florida could achieve the American Dream, including good jobs, education and safe communities. "That is the American Dream and it is deeply unfortunate that it is completely slipping away in New York," he said. "New York families deserve better."
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Schools must make classrooms sane again — and ditch ‘restorative justice'
For nearly a decade, New York City placed ideology over evidence in its approach to school discipline. Restorative Justice, imposed for the sake of racial 'equity,' was supposed to strengthen school culture — but instead it removed the boundaries kids need to learn and thrive. That left too many classrooms without clear expectations, consistent follow-through or real consequences, with students told to discuss or meditate on unruly school behavior rather than receiving detention, suspension or loss of privileges. Advertisement My recent Manhattan Institute report shows how NYC spent nearly $100 million on RJ programs in less than a decade — yet classroom disruptions, police interventions and absenteeism only worsened. Eliminating meaningful consequences set school administrators and teachers adrift, forced to react to emergencies instead of preventing them. Structure in a classroom means clear routines, like when to listen or when it's time to work — with posted rules explaining what students should do and what happens when rules are broken, enforced by consistent adult follow-through. Advertisement Clarity and consistency, not abstract ideals, create safe and orderly classrooms. Extensive research confirms this commonsense concept. But with RJ, teachers must manage disruptions through scripted conversations, asking students to reflect on their feelings rather than issuing consequences. They've had to 'build relationships,' not set rules and enforce expectations — so expectations disappeared from our schools. Schools can't function without structure. Every student deserves a safe, orderly classroom, and teachers need tools to achieve this. Advertisement But RJ didn't supplement school discipline; it replaced it, leaving schools without tools to manage behavior. And the students who need structure most are the ones most harmed. Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! As the city approaches another mayoral election, voters should be asking: Who's willing to rebuild our schools' structure? Advertisement Who's willing to say that kids need boundaries, not just conversations? Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has endorsed more of the same. 'As mayor,' he told Chalkbeat, 'I will focus on . . . restorative-justice models, which allow our students to remain in schools, learn from mistakes, grow conflict resolution skills and improve academic outcomes.' As the largest school system in the country, NYC sets a tone for the rest of the nation. Today that tone is one of failure and discouragement. Restorative justice has done enough damage. It's time for our schools to reestablish rules, order and accountability. First, we must set clear expectations and consequences across all schools, empowering principals and teachers to intervene when students jeopardize learning or safety — without waiting for central office approval. Teachers need that backup if we want them to give our kids consistency. Teachers also need training in evidence-based behavioral strategies, such as encouraging appropriate behavior, de-escalating disruptions and following through with reliable consequences. Let's redirect funding away from RJ to give teachers those tools. Advertisement Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters To restore public trust, we need regular audits using measurable outcomes — reductions in repeat offenses, fewer emergency calls and increases in uninterrupted instructional time, for example — and to make the results public. Within the city's classrooms, daily structure is a must. Students can't learn in chaotic environments. Classrooms need clear routines, posted behavior expectations and consistent follow-through when rules are broken. Advertisement Finally, we must recognize that Title 1 schools, which serve the city's neediest and most vulnerable children, have been hit hardest by the breakdown of discipline. They should be first in line for training and resources to restore order and protect student learning. The collapse of order in our schools is a nationwide issue, as President Donald Trump recognizes: His April executive order directed the federal Education Department to promote behavior-based discipline measures. The order instructs federal agencies to roll back past guidance discouraging suspensions and reprimands over racial-equity concerns — guidance that spurred the rise of RJ in the city and elsewhere. Advertisement As Trump's order makes clear, imposing consequences isn't about punishment. It's about creating predictable environments in which students understand expectations and know adults will follow through. It's about striking a balance between compassion and clarity, and recognizing that boundaries are a form of care. New Yorkers should make school discipline a priority as they consider their vote for mayor. Advertisement Until the city rebuilds a system where all students can learn in calm, focused classrooms, children who need the most support will continue to receive the least. Restoring disciplinary structure gives every student a better chance to succeed — and New York City should lead the way. Jennifer Weber is the cofounder and co-owner of KIT Educational Consulting.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Governor races are set to be major referendums on Trump vs. Democrats
From Florida to California, three-dozen states are preparing for what could be the most consequential elections in recent memory. Forget who controls Congress, consider how the nation's gubernatorial election cycle over the next 16 months will be chock-full of significant implications for the country's political future. There will be at least nine tightly contested elections, starting with sprints in New Jersey and Virignia this fall, that will either strengthen or weaken President Donald Trump's agenda, and show if the Democratic Party has gotten its groove back with voters. Plenty of potential 2028 presidential contenders, such as JB Pritzker of Illinois and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, are looking to secure new terms that will keep their national profiles high. Similarly outgoing governors with White House aspirations − think Florida's Ron DeSantis − who will need their party to hold power less their own presidential narratives be crushed. And then there's the potential return of Kamala Harris, who could end up controlling the globe's fourth-largest economy while on a collision course with her 2024 rival. From California to Wisconsin to Virginia to Arizona, more than three-dozen states will choose governors who are going to be at the frontlines of a divided nation amid Trump's controversial upheaval in Washington that has touched various economic, cultural and institutional nerves since January. Whether that's absorbing the fallout of the 'one, big beautiful bill" and its changes to Medicaid or other assistance programs, resisting or assisting the Trump administration's expanding immigration crackdown that has seen tense, sometimes violent clashes in the streets or dealing with the massive federal worker layoffs, here are the governor races worth watching − and why. Trump set to be 'major factor' in early Virginia, N.J. races this fall Both parties are hoping to flip the governor's mansion in the odd-year races in Virginia and New Jersey in 2025, which are leaning slightly in Democrats' favor, according to Sabato's Crystal Ball and the Cook Political Report, which forecast elections. In Virginia, where Republican incumbent Glenn Youngkin is term-limited, reports underscore the GOP is a bit nervous about Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears given her anemic fundraising hauls and internal campaign combustion that one conservative talk radio host described as a "clown car." A July 16 Virginia Commonwealth University poll showed Earle-Sears trailing the Democratic nominee, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, by a 12-point margin among registered voters. That is giving Democrats a confidence boost as they plan to focus on affordability and economic issues, but particularly the impact of the Trump administration's cuts to the federal workforce. Virginia is home to about 152,300 federal workers. Democratic incumbent Phil Murphy is also term-limited in New Jersey, where Republican Jack Ciattarelli looks to put his past Trump criticisms in the rearview and bulldoze his right-leaning populist over Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill. Ciatterelli, who the president has endorsed, came within 3 percentage points of winning the governorship in 2021 when he kept Trump at arm's length. This time around his firebrand style is something GOP strategists are confident can keep Democrats on defense in a blue state. Thank you @realDonaldTrump for bringing America back and delivering BIG results!!! 🇺🇸@GOPGovs are grateful to be working by your side to undo the disaster of the past 4 years and usher in AMERICA'S GOLDEN AGE!!! A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released July 2 showed their is high enthusiasm for both candidates, but that at the moment Sherrill holds the advantage with 51% of voters saying they cast their ballot for her compared to 31% saying the same for Ciattarelli. Other surveys have the election closer, but what's telling in the Rutgers poll is how large Trump shadow looms with 52% of voters saying the president is a "major factor" in their decisions for governor versus 30% who say he isn't a factor at all. Swing states governors race a test of Trump policies, Dems messaging Most of next year's gubernatorial races will be centered on the six swing states, of which four are currently controlled by Democrats and two by Republicans. Trump won all of them in the 2024 presidential race, and he is expected to play a significant role whether as an asset or liability for GOP contenders. "I look forward to working with each and every one of you as we complete the mission of saving America," he told the Republican Governors Association in February. "We've made a lot of progress... we've had a lot of fun doing it, too" the president added. "We just rip down whatever (Democrats have) done." Political forecasters give Democrats and Republicans a relatively even chance at prevailing in five of the six battleground gubernatorial races. Only in Pennsylvania, where incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro, a 2028 hopeful, is expected to announce his reelection bid soon do Democrats hold an expected edge. Incumbents are expected to face stiff challenges in Arizona and Nevada, and the open races in Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia are still taking shape as different candidates emerge. After weeks of public debate, largely about his age, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers bowed out of seeking a third term in next year's gubernatorial race, leaving a critical seat open in a swing state Democrats would have preferred to be a safer bet. There's now expected to be a crowded primary that will provide a window into how Democrats have settled on crafting a tougher messaging strategy going into the midterm elections. Democratic Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, for instance, entered Wisconsin governor's race on July 25 by calling Trump a "maniac" in her campaign launch video. "His tariffs are killing our farmers," she said in the video. Supporters emphasize Rodriguez, who is looking to be the state's first woman governor, is running with an emphasis on lowering costs, helping businesses and workers thrive and improving child access to early education. It's official – I'm running for Governor of Wisconsin. Here's what you should know:✅I'm a lifelong Wisconsinite and your Lt. Governor.✅I've been an ER nurse, a public health exec, and a small biz owner.✅I flipped a red seat in 2020 and won statewide in 2022.✅I'm ready to… "(Democrats) should still have a decent chance to hold it in context of 2026, but incumbency is still valuable in (governor) races, so there's added variability now," Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said in a July 24 post on X. The Democratic brand is likely to see its biggest test in Arizona. No current governor is considered more vulnerable than Democrat Katie Hobbs, who many believe will see a tough reelection bid after a razor-thin victory against Republican Kari Lake in 2022. Unlike other Democratic governors, Hobbs, a former social worker and secretary of state, has kept with her low-profile approach this year which has aggravated the political left on certain issues, such as standing up against Trump on immigration. A breakdown on the left could give the GOP an opening in the Grand Canyon State, if they can minimize the damage from next year's Republican primary that is expected to be contentious featuring two Trump-backed two contenders in Rep. Andy Biggs, a populist-minded member of the House Freedom Caucus, and developer Karrin Taylor Robson, who saw former Trump advisors leave her campaign earlier this year. Democrats are also hoping that diving into unpopular parts of Trump's mega-bill can win back Nevada where Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo had an upset win in 2022. When the Republican Governors Association, for example, showcased almost two-dozen governors were offering "strong support" for the mega-bill, Lombardo, a former sheriff, didn't sign the letter. Shake up from the Trump administration's signature legislative achievement means hundreds of thousands will be tossed off Medicaid and food assistance programs. That will give Republicans a difficult balancing act of selling the president's wins, such as extending tax breaks to tipped workers, while absorbing Democratic attacks. Republicans will also have to play defense in Georgia, where the immensely popular incumbent Brian Kemp is term limited. He comfortably defeated Democrat Stacy Abrams in back-to-back contests. But the Peach State has a purple hue and if the GOP picks a lightning rod nominee, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a MAGA darling who has flirted with the idea, the election could become a national focal point. At least four other Democrats have signed up, including former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who worked in the Biden administration but many are still speculating if Abrams will take a third bite. That tension underscores how Democrats have their own problems as many remain skittish about their party's health due to an emerging left-leaning populism that appears to be taking hold amid ongoing frustrations with the party establishment. That is on full display in the Michigan governor's race, where popular incumbent Gretchen Whitmer is term limited, and Democrats are expected to have a heated primary. The beginning narrative came from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who made headlines when he decided to ditch the Democratic Party and run as an independent for governor further underscoring the party's woes. His campaign announced on July 25 an impressive $3.2 million fundraising haul in the past six months, which almost matches the $3.5 million raised by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, who is considered the big dog in the Democratic primary. "We're feeling the momentum," Duggan said in a statement. Don't forget outlier contests and Harris' possible return in California One feature of the 2026 gubernatorial races could be the return of Kamala Harris to the national stage, as the former vice president continues to contemplate a run for California governor. Doing so would put Harris right back in the fight and a major figure in the resistance movement against Trump, particularly on immigration. The former VP hasn't announced, but a University of California, Irvine released this month shows 41% of voters in the Golden State would choose her over a generic Republican. There are already big names, including former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, former Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, but the bombshell everyone is bracing for is Harris' return bid whether for California governor or a third run at U.S. president. "Things are hard right now," she said in a July 4 post on X. "They are probably going to get worse before they get better. But I love our country — and when you love something, you fight for it. Together, we will continue to fight for the ideals of our nation." There's a similar compelling narrative in Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a probably 2028 contender, is term-limited but might be gearing up for proxy intra-party spat with Trump. A July 24 survey by the University of North Florida shows Casey DeSantis holding a slight edge over Rep. Byron Donalds, who is endorsed by the president. Other polls, however, have given Donalds a better lead over Casey DeSantis, who has remained cryptic about running, in such a hypothetical matchup. Democratic and Republican operatives with knowledge of the larger strategies going into next year's races for governor tell USA TODAY they believe there are chances for picks outside the swing states, too. For Republicans the easiest chance for a flip in their eyes looks to be Kansas, where incumbent Laura Kelly, who is term-limited, is one of the last red state Democrats in the country. Forecasters rate that contest as leaning for the GOP and at least eight contenders, including former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer. Conservative operatives also grin when asked about New York, which is at the moment considered a "likely" Democratic hold by Gov. Kathy Hochul. But Republicans are holding out hope that Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., a Trump confidant, will join the fray and make that contest more competitive. "I will make a final decision and announcement after this year's November election which we are all focused on," Stefanik said in a July 23 statement after Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., announced he will seek re-election instead of running for governor. Outside of Virginia, there is a small chatter of hope among Democrats when broached about flipping an open seat in Iowa after GOP incumbent Kim Reynolds passed on another term earlier this year. State Auditor Rob Sand, the only statewide Democratic official, has entered the race. The prediction there doesn't look good as multiple Republicans have signaled they're running in the Hawkeye State, which is rated as either "leaning" or "likely" for the GOP to keep.
