NYC Eric Mayor Adams, facing criticism over ties to Trump, touts book by FBI chief Kash Patel
NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams, in his address to New Yorkers on his federal corruption charges being dropped, promoted a highly controversial book about the so-called deep state by Trump FBI Director Kash Patel.
'New Yorkers stop me all the time in trying to find the rationale behind this, and I found it in this book,' the mayor said, holding up a hardcover copy of the 288-page book. 'I'm going to encourage every New Yorker to read it. Read it and understand how we can never allow this to happen to another innocent American.'
The book, 'Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy,' outlines an alleged conspiracy of powerful players against the Trump administration.
It was a curious choice given the widespread criticism Adams has faced over the DOJ's efforts to dismiss his case. He's been accused of entering into a corrupt deal with Trump, making him beholden to the president. Though Adams has denied any quid pro quo, holding up Patel's book further associates the mayor with Trump and his associates.
The premise of Patel's book in some ways echoes Adams' claims that the case against him was a politically motivated attempt to take him down. Since he was indicted on federal corruption charges in September, Adams has claimed the case was political retribution for speaking out against President Biden's handling of the migrant crisis — although he has not blamed the 'deep state' or other behind-the-scenes actors.
Adams also praised Patel's widely-criticized deep state conspiracy on a podcast published shortly after the charges were dropped.
'I have never seen anyone do such a good job of defining that deep state,' the mayor told host Andrew Schulz on podcast 'Andrew Schulz's Flagrant with Akaash Singh.'
The book has been widely slammed as conspiratorial and aligned with QAnon. In the book, Patel refers to 'government gangsters' to refer to those part of the corrupt 'deep state' who tried to thwart Trump's presidency.
It also includes a list of 60 people in the book's appendix that he deemed part of the 'Executive Branch Deep State.' Patel also made a companion documentary based on the book with the alt-right studio Salem Media and produced by Steve Bannon.
Patel's list includes Kamala Harris, who Adams said he voted for, and Hillary Clinton, who spoke alongside Adams at a funeral recently.
Judge Ho roundly rejected the idea that the prosecution was politically motivated in his Wednesday ruling dismissing the charges.
'The Southern District of New York prosecutors who worked on this case followed all appropriate Justice Department guidelines. There is no evidence — zero — that they had any improper motives,' the judge wrote.
_____
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bold move to keep Americans safe from ‘terrorists' is basis for US travel ban for some African nations
President Donald Trump's restrictions on travel from 10 African countries are being praised by analysts for improving U.S. security internationally and domestically. The president said on X the travel ban was being introduced after a terror attack against a pro-Israel group advocating for Hamas to release Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colorado, last weekend, allegedly by an Egyptian man who had overstayed his visa. In a White House fact sheet, Trump said, "We will restore the travel ban, some people call it the Trump travel ban, and keep the radical Islamic terrorists out of our country." Suspect In Boulder Terror Attack Determined To Be Egyptian Man In Us Illegally: Fbi This point was backed by the State Department's principal deputy spokesperson, Tommy Pigott. In a briefing Thursday, Pigott said, "This is a national security imperative". But observers believe there is an external, international reason. Read On The Fox News App "Most, if not all, of the African countries were added to this list either because of extreme instability and thus terrorist havens or because relations between them and the U.S. is either extremely poor or non-existent," Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and editor of FDD's Long War Journal, told Fox News Digital. "For instance, the U.S. has been historically hard on Eritrea for its human rights abuses and also alleged support for terrorism. While in Chad, its military regime kicked the U.S. military out of its territory last year, further hurting the U.S. military posture in Africa." Trump Bans Travel To Us From Several Countries To Block 'Dangerous Foreign Actors' Some of the restricted African countries listed below pose significant potential security concerns for the U.S. The world's two principal Islamist terror groups, ISIS and al Qaeda, represented here by Al-Shabaab, both operate openly in Somalia. The White House described it this week as "a terrorist safe haven." A briefing note accompanying the travel ban declared, "A persistent terrorist threat emanates from Somalia's territory. Somalia also remains a destination for individuals attempting to join terrorist groups that threaten the national security of the United States." The U.S. Africa Command mounted five air attacks against operators from both groups in just the 12 days up to June 2. Fighting and subsequent piles of bodies in the streets have been reported in the past month in Tripoli, the Libyan capital. The U.N.'s Support Mission in Libya recently posted on X that the situation could "spiral out of control." "The historical terrorist presence within Libya's territory amplifies the risks posed by the entry into the United States of its nationals," the White House note states, adding U.S. border officials can't properly vet Libyans because "there is no competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents in Libya." The U.S. has already imposed sanctions against the leaders of both parties involved in a two-year civil war that has reportedly killed 150,000 and displaced 12 million. The U.S. claims up to 28% of Sudanese overstay their visas. The criminal records of Eritreans are not available for inspection by U.S. officials. With an overstay rate of up to 55%, the White House also reported that "Eritrea has historically refused to accept back its removable nationals." Critics Have Meltdown And Accuse Trump Of Imposing Renewed 'Muslim Ban' Through 'Disgusting' Travel Order The West African country is causing concern in Washington as it deepens relations with Russia. Chad President Idriss Deby went to Moscow last year for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Kremlin Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was then warmly welcomed in Chad's capital, N'Djamena, for a reciprocal visit. Russia's shadowy Wagner private mercenary group's importance in the country is being questioned after three of its members were arrested in September and sent back to Moscow. Banning nationals this week, the U.S. said Chad has had a visa overstay rate of up to 55%. In Chad, President Deby responded by saying, "I have instructed the government to act in accordance with the principles of reciprocity and suspend the issuance of visas to U.S. citizens." People from this West African country have reportedly overstayed their F, M and J visas by up to 70%. Depending on the visa category, up to 35% of citizens in the U.S. are reported to have overstayed their visas. Overstaying is the main issue for the other African countries whose nationals are partially restricted and now have only limited entry into the U.S. Has an overstay rate of up to 35%, and, the White House says, "has historically failed to accept back its removable nationals." Togo suffers from poor governance, nepotism and widespread corruption, which reportedly goes all the way to the president's office. Over 50% of the population lives below what's regarded as the international poverty line. Togo's nationals have an overstay rate of up to 35% in the U.S. Burundi vies with South Sudan for the dubious title of poorest country in the world. Yet soaring inflation has caused a devastating rise in food prices. A former rebel group has led the country for two decades in a climate of political unrest and alleged repression. Burundi's citizens have an overstay rate of up to 17% in the article source: Bold move to keep Americans safe from 'terrorists' is basis for US travel ban for some African nations
Chicago Tribune
38 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Pope Leo criticizes political nationalism and prays for reconciliation and dialogue
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV criticized the surge of nationalist political movements in the world as he prayed Sunday for reconciliation and dialogue — a message in line with his pledges to make the Catholic Church a symbol of peace. The pope celebrated Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square in front of tens of thousands faithful, and asked the Holy Spirit to 'break down barriers and tear down the walls of indifference and hatred.' 'Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbors, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms,' the first American pontiff said. He did not name any specific country or politician. Pope Leo XIV: What to know about Chicago-born Robert PrevostLeo also recalled the words of late Pope Francis, who — on the feast of Pentecost in May 2023 — observed that in our world 'we are all connected, yet find ourselves disconnected from one another, anaesthetized by indifference and overwhelmed by solitude.' The pope also condemned wars, which 'are plaguing our world,' and asked the Holy Spirit for 'the gift of peace.' 'First of all, peace in our hearts, for only a peaceful heart can spread peace in the family, society and international relations,' Leo said, then prayed for reconciliation and dialogue wherever there is war in the world. Soon after becoming pope, Leo pledged to work for unity and peace. His first message, 'Peace be with you all,' set the importance of peace as a pillar of his papacy. He has also appealed for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine and a ceasefire in Gaza.
41 minutes ago
Chinese hackers and user lapses turn smartphones into a 'mobile security crisis'
WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON (AP) — Cybersecurity investigators noticed a highly unusual software crash — it was affecting a small number of smartphones belonging to people who worked in government, politics, tech and journalism. The crashes, which began late last year and carried into 2025, were the tipoff to a sophisticated cyberattack that may have allowed hackers to infiltrate a phone without a single click from the user. The attackers left no clues about their identities, but investigators at the cybersecurity firm iVerify noticed that the victims all had something in common: They worked in fields of interest to China's government and had been targeted by Chinese hackers in the past. Foreign hackers have increasingly identified smartphones, other mobile devices and the apps they use as a weak link in U.S. cyberdefenses. Groups linked to China's military and intelligence service have targeted the smartphones of prominent Americans and burrowed deep into telecommunication networks, according to national security and tech experts. It shows how vulnerable mobile devices and apps are and the risk that security failures could expose sensitive information or leave American interests open to cyberattack, those experts say. 'The world is in a mobile security crisis right now,' said Rocky Cole, a former cybersecurity expert at the National Security Agency and Google and now chief operations officer at iVerify. 'No one is watching the phones.' U.S. authorities warned in December of a sprawling Chinese hacking campaign designed to gain access to the texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. 'They were able to listen in on phone calls in real time and able to read text messages,' said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois. He is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the senior Democrat on the Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, created to study the geopolitical threat from China. Chinese hackers also sought access to phones used by Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance during the 2024 campaign. The Chinese government has denied allegations of cyberespionage, and accused the U.S. of mounting its own cyberoperations. It says America cites national security as an excuse to issue sanctions against Chinese organizations and keep Chinese technology companies from the global market. 'The U.S. has long been using all kinds of despicable methods to steal other countries' secrets,' Lin Jian, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said at a recent press conference in response to questions about a CIA push to recruit Chinese informants. U.S. intelligence officials have said China poses a significant, persistent threat to U.S. economic and political interests, and it has harnessed the tools of digital conflict: online propaganda and disinformation, artificial intelligence and cyber surveillance and espionage designed to deliver a significant advantage in any military conflict. Mobile networks are a top concern. The U.S. and many of its closest allies have banned Chinese telecom companies from their networks. Other countries, including Germany, are phasing out Chinese involvement because of security concerns. But Chinese tech firms remain a big part of the systems in many nations, giving state-controlled companies a global footprint they could exploit for cyberattacks, experts say. Chinese telecom firms still maintain some routing and cloud storage systems in the U.S. — a growing concern to lawmakers. 'The American people deserve to know if Beijing is quietly using state-owned firms to infiltrate our critical infrastructure,' U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich. and chairman of the China committee, which in April issued subpoenas to Chinese telecom companies seeking information about their U.S. operations. Mobile devices can buy stocks, launch drones and run power plants. Their proliferation has often outpaced their security. The phones of top government officials are especially valuable, containing sensitive government information, passwords and an insider's glimpse into policy discussions and decision-making. The White House said last week that someone impersonating Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff, reached out to governors, senators and business leaders with texts and phone calls. It's unclear how the person obtained Wiles' connections, but they apparently gained access to the contacts in her personal cellphone, The Wall Street Journal reported. The messages and calls were not coming from Wiles' number, the newspaper reported. While most smartphones and tablets come with robust security, apps and connected devices often lack these protections or the regular software updates needed to stay ahead of new threats. That makes every fitness tracker, baby monitor or smart appliance another potential foothold for hackers looking to penetrate networks, retrieve information or infect systems with malware. Federal officials launched a program this year creating a 'cyber trust mark' for connected devices that meet federal security standards. But consumers and officials shouldn't lower their guard, said Snehal Antani, former chief technology officer for the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command. 'They're finding backdoors in Barbie dolls,' said Antani, now CEO of a cybersecurity firm, referring to concerns from researchers who successfully hacked the microphone of a digitally connected version of the toy. It doesn't matter how secure a mobile device is if the user doesn't follow basic security precautions, especially if their device contains classified or sensitive information, experts say. Mike Waltz, who departed as Trump's national security adviser, inadvertently added The Atlantic's editor-in-chief to a Signal chat used to discuss military plans with other top officials. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon's security protocols set up in his office so he could use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, the AP has reported. Hegseth has rejected assertions that he shared classified information on Signal, a popular encrypted messaging app not approved for the use of communicating classified information. China and other nations will try to take advantage of such lapses, and national security officials must take steps to prevent them from recurring, said Michael Williams, a national security expert at Syracuse University. 'They all have access to a variety of secure communications platforms,' Williams said. "We just can't share things willy-nilly.'
