President Joe Biden and Mayor Eric Adams are currently at odds, and this conflict reveals significant differences between the two politicians. As president, Biden has to keep the increasingly progressive left wing of the Democratic Party satisfied, which means supporting decriminalization, decarceration, and reducing enforcement of illegal border crossings.
As the mayor of New York City, Adams must focus on preserving public safety, which requires effective tools for handling criminal behavior. Additionally, Adams intends to find solutions to the influx of illegal migrants flooding into New York, which has incurred significant costs. These discrepancies are apparent in the way both parties are conducting themselves, with Adams launching criticisms at Biden and Biden’s team removing Adams from a campaign advisory board.
This discord between officials is not a new phenomenon in politics and can be reminiscent of past feuds. For example, decades ago, President Jimmy Carter had a widely known conflict with Mayor Ed Koch. Although their feud was based on Carter’s Israel policy, the nature of their actions and reactions parallel those of Biden and Adams.
Koch heavily criticized Carter’s Israel policy, prompting Carter to respond with snubs, such as disinviting Koch from a limousine ride with the UN president shortly before Koch’s election as mayor. Although this did not stop Koch, he continued criticizing Carter, even publicly supporting Reagan’s campaign when he visited New York, although he did not officially endorse him. Carter was extremely bothered by Koch’s criticisms, and at a fundraiser, he even mentioned to Koch himself that he had done him more damage than any man in America.
The feud resulted in Carter’s defeat, with Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy soundly winning the 1980 New York primary. Koch nominally supported Carter in the race, but his criticisms still contributed to Carter’s unpopularity in New York City. In fact, sensationalist reporter Sy Hersh even reported that Carter received National Security Council transcripts of a call between Koch and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, in which they discussed how to beat Carter in the general election. Whether this story is true or not, one thing is for sure: the enmity between Koch and Carter made it seem possible.
It is important to note the historical significance of these political feuds, as the feud between Biden and Adams could potentially harm Biden’s reelection efforts in both a primary challenge and the general election. Even though it is not likely that Adams would endorse a Republican candidate, his criticisms of Biden could make it difficult for Biden to appeal to moderate voters who are concerned about reducing illegal immigration. Additionally, as one of the most prominent African-American politicians, Adams’ criticism of Biden could make the Black community less likely to turn out to vote for Biden in the 2024 election, which would drastically diminish the Democratic Party’s prospects.
Moreover, Adams’ willingness to criticize Biden from within the Democratic camp could inspire a serious internal challenge to Biden, which could be damaging for his reelection efforts. It is worth noting that the last five presidents who faced primary challenges from their own party, including Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Carter, and George H.W. Bush, were not reelected. This is a potential issue that Democrats need to be mindful of. One unnamed senior Democrat told Axios that “Adams is right to be upset, and I think it’s a massive mistake to be dismissive of him.” Although Adams may not be as abrasive as Koch, the point remains that Biden should take Adams’s criticisms seriously. Even Carter could not manage a minor insurrection from a Democratic mayor and look how it turned out for him.
The differences between Biden and Adams are crucial to note. As president, Biden has to balance the needs of the progressive left wing of the Democratic Party, which advocates for decriminalization, decarceration, and reduced enforcement of illegal border crossings. Conversely, Adams, as mayor, must prioritize public safety and has to be equipped with effective methods for handling criminal behavior. Beyond this, he is also pressurized to find ways to control the surge of illegal migrants, which is making it challenging for the city government to maintain the level of safety and effectiveness. These differences of opinions are evident from the reactions of both leaders. While Biden’s team removed Adams from a campaign advisory board, Adams criticized President Biden, saying that “the president and the White House have failed this city”.
While political feuds are not new phenomena, Biden’s dispute with Adams could significantly hinder his reelection chances, both in a primary challenge as well as in the general election. It’s not plausible that Adams would endorse a Republican candidate, but his criticisms of Biden might make it harder for the latter to attract moderate voters who are concerned about reducing illegal immigration. Furthermore, given that Adams is a popular African-American politician, his critiques of Biden could diminish Black voter turnout in the 2024 election, thereby posing a risk to the Democratic Party’s popularity across the nation.
More significantly, Adams’ willingness to criticize Biden from within the Democratic camp could potentially inspire a serious internal challenge against Biden. This could be an extremely damaging for his reelection prospects. It is noteworthy that the last five presidents who faced serious primary challenges from their own party—Gerald Ford, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Carter, George H.W. Bush—failed to be reelected. This is something that Democrats should under no circumstances overlook. One senior Democrat, who opted to remain anonymous, argued to Axios that “Adams’ grievances are entirely valid, and dismissing him would be an egregious error”. Even though Adams is unlikely to be as confrontational as Koch, it’s still important for Biden to take his critique seriously. After all, even Carter couldn’t handle a minor insurrection by a fellow Democratic mayor.
In any case, the differences between Biden’s and Adams’ priorities are clear. As president, Biden must satisfy the growing progressive faction of the Democratic Party that insists on decriminalization, decarceration, and reduced enforcement for illegal border crossings. Conversely, as mayor, Adams must first and foremost prioritize public safety and have access to effective tools for dealing with criminal activity. Additionally, he is obliged to limit the sustained flow of illegal immigrants entering new york as they pose significant issues for the city’s welfare and security. Clearly, both have different views, and this disagreement is manifesting in their actions. While Biden has removed Adams from the advisory board, Adams is actively criticizing the policies of the government.
Although political feuds have been seen before, the tiff between Biden and Adams could significantly impede the chances of the former getting reelected. This is true in both the primary and general elections. Adams is not expected to endorse any Republican candidate; still, his criticism of Biden might dishearten moderate voters who care about controlling illegal immigration. What’s more, Adams, a high-profile African-American politician, may influence the Black voter turnout for the next election, which historically plays a critical role in determining the Democratic Party’s fate.
It is essential to recognize that Adam’s critique of Biden might potentially pave the way for more significant challenges to Biden’s tenure as President. This is a considerable cause of concern as far as his reelection prospects are involved. It’s worth mentioning that the last few presidents that have encountered such challenges during their primary elections didn’t survive the subsequent election. From Truman, Johnson, Ford to Carter and George H.W. Bush, each ultimately failed to get reelected. This is a plausible scenario that Democrats cannot afford to ignore. In fact, one senior Democrat, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared with Axios that “Adams has a legitimate reason to be upset, and ignoring his concern would be a grave mistake.” Though Adams isn’t as vocal as Koch was in his criticism of Carter, it’s critical for Biden to take it seriously, as even a minor disagreement can have damaging consequences.
It’s clear that Biden and Adams have significantly different priorities, with Biden required to balance the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party, while Adams needs to have firm control over the city, which is essential to maintain public safety. Furthermore, his focus is to prevent an overwhelming number of illegal immigrants from entering New York, which has led to significant security challenges. It is understandable that these differences in opinions will lead to actions that will reflect in the relationship the duo share. While Biden’s team has removed Adams from the advisory board, the latter is portraying his discontent through the comments he has made.
Although this is not the first time political differences have resulted in a public display of disagreement, Biden’s and Adam’s disagreements could hurt his chances of getting reelected, be it during the primary elections or later. Although it is unlikely that Adams will endorse a Republican candidate, the criticism he has leveled at Biden may make it harder for moderate voters concerned about managing illegal immigration to support him. Furthermore, Adams’ status as a high-profile African-American politician could diminish turnout among Black voters in 2024, which could be disastrous for the Democrats.
Furthermore, Adams’ criticism of Biden from within the Democratic Party may inspire more significant internal challenges, which could have an adverse impact on his reelection hopes. It’s worth remembering that the last five Presidents who faced serious primary challenges from within their own party (Gerald Ford, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Carter, George H.W. Bush) all failed to secure a second-term, and this is something the Democrats simply cannot ignore. In fact, one senior Democrat told Axios, “Ignoring the concerns of Adams would be a grave miscalculation,” and even though Adams is unlikely to be aggressive in his attacks on Biden, it is essential that the President take his criticism seriously.
It is abundantly clear that Biden and Adams have significantly different agendas. Biden is in the unenviable position of having to balance the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party, while Adams has a more specific mandate to maintain public order and combat crime in New York City. He is also concerned about the influx of illegal immigrants into the city, which presents its own challenges. These differences in priorities have resulted in visible differences between the two leaders. Biden’s team has removed Adams from the advisory board, while Adams has criticized Biden’s policies.
Taken together, Biden and Adams are at odds over political realities that they face on their separate levels of government. For Biden, he has to navigate the progressive factions of the Democratic Party, which maintains that the decriminalization and decarceration missions are essential and limited enforcement for illegal border crossings should be the norm. For Adams, he is responsible for ensuring that his constituents remain safe, which means he needs effective tools for building safety and also needs to reduce the inflow of illegal immigrants into New York City. Owing to this disagreement,