White House Distances Itself from Eric Adams Following Indictment
President Joe Biden severed connections with the currently indicted mayor two years ago.
TroibNews 
President Joe Biden and his team maintained a significant distance from New York Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday following the latter's indictment on extensive federal corruption charges.
Outside of one condolence call, Biden has not engaged substantially with Adams in nearly two years, according to two White House officials who spoke anonymously due to restrictions on discussing private conversations. This estrangement can be traced back to Adams' recurrent public critiques of the Biden administration's response to the influx of migrants in New York City, a stance that long predated the federal investigation into his actions.
As a consequence of these criticisms, Adams was removed from Biden's reelection campaign advisory board prior to its announcement last summer. The public learned of the federal investigation several months later, culminating in the indictment issued by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. Despite spending three days in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Biden chose not to meet with Adams.
Just a couple of years after praising Biden as his political model, Adams has adopted rhetoric reminiscent of Donald Trump, suggesting that the investigations against him are politically motivated and seemingly attributing his new status as a target to his disagreements with the White House.
“Despite our pleas, when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics,” Adams stated in a video released following the indictment news.
The White House has rejected any notion of coordination between its staff and the Justice Department. “DOJ is handling this case independently,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre remarked during a Thursday press briefing. “I’m not going to go beyond that.”
Jean-Pierre also avoided directly answering whether Biden concurs with some New York Democrats who believe Adams should resign.
Earlier ethical concerns during the mayor’s career—including an alleged bid-rigging scandal and a self-promotional nonprofit—did not deter Biden from supporting Adams, a politically moderate former police officer who resonated with the president’s political image after his 2021 election to City Hall.
Adams had confidently labeled himself “the Biden of Brooklyn,” contrasting his primary win over more liberal candidates with Biden's own success against further left competitors a year earlier. Biden actively participated in events with Adams as crime surged nationwide during the pandemic, appreciating the mayor's law enforcement background.
Biden hosted Adams, then Brooklyn borough president and a mayoral candidate, at a White House event focused on gun violence in 2021. Shortly after Adams took office, Biden joined him in New York City to discuss violence reduction.
Two former administration officials who helped plan that February 2022 event noted that it was significantly motivated by the need for law enforcement and political endorsements of the president's crime reduction strategy.
Biden, they explained on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, has historically been accommodating towards local officials during trips, despite staff anxieties about the political implications of appearing alongside certain figures. In Adams’ instance, although some staff had concerns about his character, they acknowledged the political logic behind facilitating an event with the mayor and NYPD personnel, according to the two former officials.
However, this relationship soured after Adams began his pointed critiques of Biden’s handling of the migrant crisis, which he characterized dramatically as an existential threat to New York City. Adams asserted that the migrant situation “will destroy” his city and claimed, “The president and the White House have failed this city,” a refrain echoed by many adversaries of the Biden administration.
The mayor's characteristic bravado sometimes exasperated White House staff, particularly when he proclaimed himself the “new face of the Democratic Party,” fueling speculation about a possible presidential run.
Despite his criticisms and sometimes tiresome antics, the White House continued collaborating with Adams' office to tackle the migrant situation, as indicated by one White House official. The administration also addressed other issues with the city, although largely overlooking the mayor himself.
Since their fallout, Biden has avoided contact with Adams and has said little about him, according to the two White House officials. The pair did communicate in March when Biden reached out to offer condolences after a police officer’s death, but Adams is now viewed as a potential liability in Biden’s inner circle, leading to no attempts to mend their relationship.
“It’s been a long time since any of us gave him much real thought,” remarked one of the White House officials.
According to the two officials, White House aides have not focused on the scandals jeopardizing Adams' political career and do not anticipate that his arrest will affect Biden’s administration or Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
Outside of one condolence call, Biden has not engaged substantially with Adams in nearly two years, according to two White House officials who spoke anonymously due to restrictions on discussing private conversations. This estrangement can be traced back to Adams' recurrent public critiques of the Biden administration's response to the influx of migrants in New York City, a stance that long predated the federal investigation into his actions.
As a consequence of these criticisms, Adams was removed from Biden's reelection campaign advisory board prior to its announcement last summer. The public learned of the federal investigation several months later, culminating in the indictment issued by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. Despite spending three days in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Biden chose not to meet with Adams.
Just a couple of years after praising Biden as his political model, Adams has adopted rhetoric reminiscent of Donald Trump, suggesting that the investigations against him are politically motivated and seemingly attributing his new status as a target to his disagreements with the White House.
“Despite our pleas, when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics,” Adams stated in a video released following the indictment news.
The White House has rejected any notion of coordination between its staff and the Justice Department. “DOJ is handling this case independently,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre remarked during a Thursday press briefing. “I’m not going to go beyond that.”
Jean-Pierre also avoided directly answering whether Biden concurs with some New York Democrats who believe Adams should resign.
Earlier ethical concerns during the mayor’s career—including an alleged bid-rigging scandal and a self-promotional nonprofit—did not deter Biden from supporting Adams, a politically moderate former police officer who resonated with the president’s political image after his 2021 election to City Hall.
Adams had confidently labeled himself “the Biden of Brooklyn,” contrasting his primary win over more liberal candidates with Biden's own success against further left competitors a year earlier. Biden actively participated in events with Adams as crime surged nationwide during the pandemic, appreciating the mayor's law enforcement background.
Biden hosted Adams, then Brooklyn borough president and a mayoral candidate, at a White House event focused on gun violence in 2021. Shortly after Adams took office, Biden joined him in New York City to discuss violence reduction.
Two former administration officials who helped plan that February 2022 event noted that it was significantly motivated by the need for law enforcement and political endorsements of the president's crime reduction strategy.
Biden, they explained on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, has historically been accommodating towards local officials during trips, despite staff anxieties about the political implications of appearing alongside certain figures. In Adams’ instance, although some staff had concerns about his character, they acknowledged the political logic behind facilitating an event with the mayor and NYPD personnel, according to the two former officials.
However, this relationship soured after Adams began his pointed critiques of Biden’s handling of the migrant crisis, which he characterized dramatically as an existential threat to New York City. Adams asserted that the migrant situation “will destroy” his city and claimed, “The president and the White House have failed this city,” a refrain echoed by many adversaries of the Biden administration.
The mayor's characteristic bravado sometimes exasperated White House staff, particularly when he proclaimed himself the “new face of the Democratic Party,” fueling speculation about a possible presidential run.
Despite his criticisms and sometimes tiresome antics, the White House continued collaborating with Adams' office to tackle the migrant situation, as indicated by one White House official. The administration also addressed other issues with the city, although largely overlooking the mayor himself.
Since their fallout, Biden has avoided contact with Adams and has said little about him, according to the two White House officials. The pair did communicate in March when Biden reached out to offer condolences after a police officer’s death, but Adams is now viewed as a potential liability in Biden’s inner circle, leading to no attempts to mend their relationship.
“It’s been a long time since any of us gave him much real thought,” remarked one of the White House officials.
According to the two officials, White House aides have not focused on the scandals jeopardizing Adams' political career and do not anticipate that his arrest will affect Biden’s administration or Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
