Democrat Eric Adams engages in a lighthearted, freewheeling interview with Tucker Carlson
The mayor of New York City recently shared a meal with Donald Trump, who holds the authority to grant him a pardon in his federal case.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams participated in a friendly interview with far-right commentator Tucker Carlson on Tuesday, where he largely refrained from challenging Carlson's critiques regarding immigration, congestion pricing, and the state of New York City.
During the 46-minute conversation aired online, Carlson consistently questioned Democratic viewpoints, expressing that he is “against all immigration right now,” while the Democratic mayor alternately laughed, agreed, or remained quiet as Carlson dominated the dialogue.
For most Democrats, engaging in a cordial exchange with Carlson would be extraordinary. However, Carlson has the ear of former President Donald Trump, who has shown a willingness to consider pardoning the federally indicted Adams.
In fact, Carlson dismissed the prosecutors’ bribery case against the mayor as an act of retaliation for Adams’ critique of President Biden’s management of the southern border. He allowed Adams to defend himself, prompting the mayor to assert that the five-count bribery case is a political witch hunt.
Reflecting on his position, Adams noted, “People often say: You don’t sound like a Democrat and you seem to have left the party. No, the party left me.”
Adams, facing reelection in June as a Democrat, has been scrutinized by his primary opponents for his increasing connections with Trump and his supporters. Recently, the mayor had dinner with Trump in Florida, attended his inauguration, and refrained from questioning any of his initial executive actions during the interview.
At Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, Adams shared insights into his contentious relationship with the Biden administration, attributing the surge of migrants in New York City to their lack of action. He recounted an aide telling him, “Listen, this is like a gallstone. It’ll pass.”
After commiserating about Biden and Adams' legal troubles, Carlson directed the conversation toward other topics popular among Republicans. He stated, “I’m kind of against all immigration right now. We have too much of it,” further commenting that the longer immigrants stay in the U.S., the more they are likely to participate in parades with “their junk out” as a reaction to “affluent liberal culture.”
Carlson also claimed that “in every country with mass immigration, the native population stops working when you flood the country with foreigners. … That's not obvious to everybody, but it is true, and it's particularly true for African Americans. And I just think it's weird that nobody seems to notice or care."
Adams responded, “I definitely care. I care about the employment,” as the conversation progressed to homelessness. Carlson suggested the mayor should dismantle encampments with armed police, to which Adams agreed, expressing disapproval of proposed solutions from left-leaning Democrats.
“Why don’t you put the junkies in their houses?” Carlson challenged. “Miss Legal Aid lawyer … how many junkies do you have living in your house? Zero. But you expect taxpayers in Queens to pay for shelter for junkies.”
“That’s the disconnect,” Adams acknowledged. “You know, the loudest don't represent the majority.”
The interview, requested by Carlson’s team, provided Adams a platform to make his case. He criticized accusations of bribery and donor misconduct in remarks aimed directly at Trump, decrying Biden’s Department of Justice. “When I read it, I was like, ‘Where are the bags of cash? Where is the secret stash somewhere?’”
When Carlson inquired about any communication with Biden’s team regarding the indictment, Adams noted, “They wouldn't allow the president to communicate with me. For whatever reason, there was little or no communication.”
Adams asserted his expectation for better treatment, stating, “We deserve more. I’ve said this over and over again. The city deserves more.”
While Adams occasionally pushed back against Carlson’s assertions, he largely maintained a collaborative tone. For instance, after Carlson criticized the “bicycle lobby from the West Side” concerning congestion pricing, Adams distanced himself from the policy while still defending it. He did not, however, come to the defense of his predecessor, Bill de Blasio.
Carlson added humor by referencing de Blasio in a context related to the city's struggles with homelessness. “There was some question about what happened to de Blasio,” Carlson said. “We were mentioning the mentally ill on the subways … is he one of them?”
The interview aired on the Tucker Carlson Network, following his departure from Fox News in 2023 after the settlement in a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems. Adams’ office did not include this interview in the mayor's public schedule. Spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus explained that she typically omits social media-only interviews, even though other similar appearances had been featured in the past.
“Mayor Adams does not believe we should be living in silos and speaking into echo chambers,” Mamelak Altus stated before the interview aired. “At a time where our country is so divided, the mayor believes we must break out of our comfort zones and speak with everyone — even those we may not always agree with.“
Adams’ cordial engagement with Carlson reflects a notable shift in his approach to the far-right since assuming the mayoralty. Carlson previously commended Adams during the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary as “the sanest guy running” for his focus on crime and his critique of “smug, fussy liberals.” In response, Adams’ campaign took to social media, stating, “I don’t want or need the support of Tucker Carlson, or anyone else who perpetuates racist, anti-immigrant propaganda.”
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
During the 46-minute conversation aired online, Carlson consistently questioned Democratic viewpoints, expressing that he is “against all immigration right now,” while the Democratic mayor alternately laughed, agreed, or remained quiet as Carlson dominated the dialogue.
For most Democrats, engaging in a cordial exchange with Carlson would be extraordinary. However, Carlson has the ear of former President Donald Trump, who has shown a willingness to consider pardoning the federally indicted Adams.
In fact, Carlson dismissed the prosecutors’ bribery case against the mayor as an act of retaliation for Adams’ critique of President Biden’s management of the southern border. He allowed Adams to defend himself, prompting the mayor to assert that the five-count bribery case is a political witch hunt.
Reflecting on his position, Adams noted, “People often say: You don’t sound like a Democrat and you seem to have left the party. No, the party left me.”
Adams, facing reelection in June as a Democrat, has been scrutinized by his primary opponents for his increasing connections with Trump and his supporters. Recently, the mayor had dinner with Trump in Florida, attended his inauguration, and refrained from questioning any of his initial executive actions during the interview.
At Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, Adams shared insights into his contentious relationship with the Biden administration, attributing the surge of migrants in New York City to their lack of action. He recounted an aide telling him, “Listen, this is like a gallstone. It’ll pass.”
After commiserating about Biden and Adams' legal troubles, Carlson directed the conversation toward other topics popular among Republicans. He stated, “I’m kind of against all immigration right now. We have too much of it,” further commenting that the longer immigrants stay in the U.S., the more they are likely to participate in parades with “their junk out” as a reaction to “affluent liberal culture.”
Carlson also claimed that “in every country with mass immigration, the native population stops working when you flood the country with foreigners. … That's not obvious to everybody, but it is true, and it's particularly true for African Americans. And I just think it's weird that nobody seems to notice or care."
Adams responded, “I definitely care. I care about the employment,” as the conversation progressed to homelessness. Carlson suggested the mayor should dismantle encampments with armed police, to which Adams agreed, expressing disapproval of proposed solutions from left-leaning Democrats.
“Why don’t you put the junkies in their houses?” Carlson challenged. “Miss Legal Aid lawyer … how many junkies do you have living in your house? Zero. But you expect taxpayers in Queens to pay for shelter for junkies.”
“That’s the disconnect,” Adams acknowledged. “You know, the loudest don't represent the majority.”
The interview, requested by Carlson’s team, provided Adams a platform to make his case. He criticized accusations of bribery and donor misconduct in remarks aimed directly at Trump, decrying Biden’s Department of Justice. “When I read it, I was like, ‘Where are the bags of cash? Where is the secret stash somewhere?’”
When Carlson inquired about any communication with Biden’s team regarding the indictment, Adams noted, “They wouldn't allow the president to communicate with me. For whatever reason, there was little or no communication.”
Adams asserted his expectation for better treatment, stating, “We deserve more. I’ve said this over and over again. The city deserves more.”
While Adams occasionally pushed back against Carlson’s assertions, he largely maintained a collaborative tone. For instance, after Carlson criticized the “bicycle lobby from the West Side” concerning congestion pricing, Adams distanced himself from the policy while still defending it. He did not, however, come to the defense of his predecessor, Bill de Blasio.
Carlson added humor by referencing de Blasio in a context related to the city's struggles with homelessness. “There was some question about what happened to de Blasio,” Carlson said. “We were mentioning the mentally ill on the subways … is he one of them?”
The interview aired on the Tucker Carlson Network, following his departure from Fox News in 2023 after the settlement in a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems. Adams’ office did not include this interview in the mayor's public schedule. Spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus explained that she typically omits social media-only interviews, even though other similar appearances had been featured in the past.
“Mayor Adams does not believe we should be living in silos and speaking into echo chambers,” Mamelak Altus stated before the interview aired. “At a time where our country is so divided, the mayor believes we must break out of our comfort zones and speak with everyone — even those we may not always agree with.“
Adams’ cordial engagement with Carlson reflects a notable shift in his approach to the far-right since assuming the mayoralty. Carlson previously commended Adams during the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary as “the sanest guy running” for his focus on crime and his critique of “smug, fussy liberals.” In response, Adams’ campaign took to social media, stating, “I don’t want or need the support of Tucker Carlson, or anyone else who perpetuates racist, anti-immigrant propaganda.”
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
