Adams Attends Trump Inauguration, Sparks Criticism for Missing Local MLK Day Events

By: Ilana Siyance

Mayor Eric Adams made his way to Washington, DC for President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration, in the early hours of Monday morning, after receiving a last minute invitation.  As reported by the NY Post, Mayor Adams embarked at approximately 3 a.m., after the snow storm, driving to the national capital for Monday’s historic gathering at the Capital Building.  The trip, however, sparked criticism from some black leaders and liberal politicians, who said Hizzoner ditched Martin Luther King Jr. Day events that were planned in New York City.   Members of Adam’s administration defended Adam’s hasty departure, saying he attended so as to put New York City on the map.

“In the early hours of Monday morning, the Trump administration reached out inviting Mayor Adams to attend the inauguration at the incoming administration’s request,” Deputy Mayor of Communication Fabien Levy said.  “Mayor Adams accepted on behalf of New York City,” Levy said in a statement.  “As the mayor has repeatedly said, America has chosen a new national leader and we must work together to build a safer, stronger, and more affordable in (sic) New York City.”

Adams, a Democrat, only received a much-anticipated invitation to the inauguration in the middle of the night.  Some of his team members have been pushing the incoming Republican President for a pardon, so as to avoid Adam’s federal criminal trial alleging corruption, which is scheduled for April.  The invite came just days after Mayor Adams went to Florida for a sit-down meeting with the former and incoming President Trump, at which Adams claims his legal case was not discussed.

Some sour Democrats also criticized Adams saying he was seated in the overflow room, outside the main room where Trump made his inaugural address.  The indoor space at US Capitol Rotunda accommodated only the A-list Empire State political big shots including Hillary Clinton, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.  Adams was seated in the next room, and rubbed elbows with crypto billionaire Brock Pierce and social media personalities Jake and Logan Paul, and MMA star Conor McGregor.

Mayor Adams appeared in photos sitting a dozen rows back in the overflow room, along with Rev. Mark Burns, a televangelist, failed GOP congressional candidate and self-professed “close friend” of Trump, while the mayor’s security detail was five rows behind them.   “Can you imagine Mike Bloomberg, Rudy Giuliani or Ed Koch driving down to Washington, DC, in the middle of the night to attend an inauguration — and being relegated to a space reserved for C-list groupies?” one longtime New York Democrat sneered. “This is the kind of stuff only [former Mayor Bill] de Blasio would do, but worse!”

Per the Post, Adams had been scheduled to attend an MLK Day event in Harlem.  That event did go on, and was attended by many other prominent city elected officials including Comptroller Brad Lander, who is vying for the mayor’s seat in 2026, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.  Another mayoral challenger who attended the MLK day event was Rev. Michael Blake, a former assemblyman and Obama aide.  “He’s making it very clear to black and brown New Yorkers across New York City —- all that he cares about is staying out of jail,” Blake said of the Mayor.  “Eric Adams making a decision to go down to celebrate him over celebrating (Martin Luther) King, shows what he thinks. Eric Adams thinks Trump is King.”