New York City Mayor Eric Adams initiated a careful, politically driven campaign to woo the Trump administration that involved dialogues with members of the Trump family and an interaction with Steve Bannon. This campaign garnered sympathy from the Trump faction for the mayor, especially in light of the pending criminal charges against him. Adams, bucking the trend among most Democrats in New York, seemed to embrace the reality of Trump’s election victory.
In the lead up to the presidential swearing-in, Adams made overtures to the Trump camp, positioning himself near the influence of the then President and those close to him. For Adams, entangled in legal proceedings and grappling with political estrangement, the Trump era bore the promise of a shimmering lifeline.
The New York mayor went above and beyond to ingratiate himself into Trump’s good graces. He reached out to the president-elect on several instances, extending felicitations for his electoral triumph while also discussing city matters. Interactive meetings with Stephen K. Bannon, a trusted aide and ally of Trump, were also part of Adams’ well-planned charm offensive.
Adams didn’t stop at merely courting the president-elect, his circle was also on the radar. Notably, he got in touch with Eric Trump, who was at the helm of the Trump family business enterprise. This effort of Adams to curry favor with the Trump network was previously unknown to the public.
These meetings weren’t simply social calls, but came with a hefty undertone of political machinery. The intricate network and process of relations that initially spanned phone calls and meetings gradually snowballed into a full-fledged campaign. This has been suggested by numerous sources privy to these developments who preferred to maintain their anonymity.
The pinnacle of Adams’ sedulous efforts was a face-to-face meeting with Trump in Florida, merely days prior to the inauguration ceremony. Although sources claim that Adams did not overtly address his criminal allegations during this meeting, the president-elect nevertheless showcased a sense of empathy towards the mayor’s legal predicaments.
Trump expressed his grievance over the so-called ‘weaponization’ of the Justice Department under the Biden administration. With the power to potentially manipulate Adams’ legal fate within reach, the president-elect seemed disheartened by the way the Department was run under President Joe Biden.