By: Abe Wertenheim

Facing an increasingly uphill battle for re-election and surrounded by a series of corruption probes, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is now considering abandoning his campaign to pursue a senior role in the Trump administration, according to a report on Thursday in The New York Times. The revelation has injected new volatility into an already tangled mayoral race, where former Governor Andrew Cuomo and socialist frontrunner Zohran Mamdani remain at the center of political attention.

As Israel National News reported on Friday, the contest for City Hall has become emblematic of broader political struggles in the United States, with debates over crime, governance, and attitudes toward Israel all intersecting in unprecedented ways. Against this backdrop, Adams’ deliberations about joining President Donald Trump’s team in Washington represent not only a potential career pivot but also a maneuver that could reshape the trajectory of New York City politics.

According to the information provided in The New York Times report, Adams has quietly told close advisers and friends that he is “listening” to alternative career options, a phrase interpreted by his allies as a tacit admission that his path to victory is narrowing. Former Governor David Paterson, a longtime confidant of Adams, told the newspaper that the mayor had expressed his commitment to staying in the race but acknowledged that the odds of winning were “not what he’d like them to be.”

The report at Israel National News highlighted how Adams’ declining poll numbers — exacerbated by a series of corruption allegations and federal investigations into his campaign fundraising — have weakened his re-election narrative. Once positioning himself as a pragmatic leader capable of restoring public safety and stabilizing New York’s finances, Adams now finds his campaign overshadowed by scandal, internal dissent, and a restless electorate.

Adding to the intrigue are reports that Adams recently traveled to Florida for a previously undisclosed meeting with real estate developer Steve Witkoff, a prominent Trump ally who has acted as an intermediary between the mayor and the Trump camp.

Initially, City Hall downplayed the trip, claiming Adams had traveled for a “personal matter.” A campaign spokesperson later insisted he was in Florida celebrating his 65th birthday. The mayor himself, pressed by reporters, stated he had been meeting with “political figures,” including the mayor of Miami. Yet The New York Times and other outlets reported that the true purpose of the visit was a private conversation with Witkoff regarding Adams’ potential place in a second Trump administration.

The Israel National News report emphasized that this revelation has fueled speculation that Adams is not merely hedging his bets but actively exploring an exit strategy from a faltering campaign.

Adams’ wavering comes as Trump advisers reportedly explore ways to consolidate the anti-Mamdani vote. According to the information contained in The New York Times report, Trump allies have floated potential administration roles not only for Adams but also for Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, in an effort to clear the field for Andrew Cuomo.

While Sliwa has rejected overtures, the strategic logic is clear: Cuomo, despite losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, remains the only candidate polling within striking distance of the socialist frontrunner in a head-to-head matchup. Israel National News reported that Mamdani’s surge — particularly after his surprise primary victory over Cuomo — has alarmed pro-Israel voters and community leaders, who point to his failure to condemn slogans such as “globalize the intifada” and his immediate criticism of Israel following the October 7 Hamas massacre.

By potentially removing Adams from the race, Trump advisers believe they could avoid splitting the opposition vote and position Cuomo as Mamdani’s sole credible challenger.

Mamdani, for his part, has sought to frame reports of White House involvement as proof of corruption in the political process. “Backroom deals and corrupt agreements are an affront to our democracy,” he said, casting himself as the candidate of grassroots authenticity against an entrenched political establishment.

The Israel National News report noted that Mamdani has consistently doubled down on his anti-Israel positions, further deepening the divide between his campaign and Jewish voters across the city. His refusal to repudiate the rhetoric of violent resistance, combined with his criticism of Israel on October 8, 2023 — just one day after the Hamas-led massacre of 1,200 Israelis — has made him a lightning rod for criticism from Jewish organizations and bipartisan lawmakers alike.

For Adams, the decision to potentially step aside remains fraught. Publicly, he has insisted he is committed to the race. “I have a job. I’m running for re-election, I’m still doing that and I’m looking forward to getting re-elected,” he told reporters earlier this week. His campaign spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, likewise stressed that Adams was focused on “delivering for the people of New York” and had no intention of responding to “every rumor.”

Yet Israel National News reported that Adams’ campaign team has privately scheduled strategy sessions to reassess his re-election bid in light of worsening polls and the prospect of a “federal golden parachute.” One insider admitted that the mayor’s aides had begun urging him to seriously consider taking an administration post rather than risking a humiliating defeat at the ballot box.

For Trump, offering Adams a position — potentially even an ambassadorship, according to some reports — could serve multiple purposes. First, it would allow the administration to showcase bipartisan credentials by elevating a high-profile Democrat who has aligned with Trump on issues such as crime and immigration. Second, it would effectively remove a spoiler candidate from the New York mayoral race, bolstering Cuomo’s chances against Mamdani.

The Israel National News report pointed out that Trump’s broader strategy has consistently involved courting disillusioned Democrats while simultaneously tightening his alliance with pro-Israel voters. The Adams maneuver, therefore, fits squarely within that pattern.

The New York City mayoral race remains one of the most unpredictable contests in recent memory. Mamdani’s commanding lead in most polls has reshaped the political map, but his controversial positions on Israel have opened vulnerabilities that a united opposition could exploit. Cuomo, despite his tarnished reputation following his resignation from the governorship in 2021, retains a loyal base and benefits from name recognition that far surpasses his rivals.

Adams, meanwhile, occupies an increasingly untenable position: unable to overtake Mamdani, unwilling to bow out publicly, yet quietly considering the lifeline of a federal appointment.

The Israel National News report observed that the intersection of local politics, national ambitions, and foreign policy debates — particularly surrounding Israel — has made the race not merely about City Hall but about the future direction of American politics in a time of heightened polarization.

As New Yorkers prepare for November’s election, the drama surrounding Eric Adams’ potential exit underscores the fragility of political fortunes and the shifting alliances reshaping both local and national politics. Should Adams accept a Trump administration role, it could dramatically alter the race’s dynamics, strengthening Cuomo’s hand against Mamdani and setting the stage for one of the most ideologically charged mayoral showdowns in the city’s history.

For now, Adams insists he remains in the fight. But as Israel National News reported, the convergence of scandal, waning public support, and high-level political maneuvering suggests his tenure as mayor — and his candidacy for a second term — may be approaching its final chapter.