Eric Adams Jokes About Turkey Scandal, Zero Bond in New Campaign Video
Photo: X/@ericadamsfornyc
In the midst of his independent reelection bid, Mayor Eric Adams is now making light of the scandals that once appeared to threaten his position in City Hall. Chief among them is the federal corruption case that once loomed over him, charges that the mayor previously said made it impossible for him to mount a successful campaign in time for the Democratic primary.
In a video shared to X, Adams knocked two of his opponents, assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and former Governor Andrew Cuomo for taking recent trips outside of the city. Last week, Mamdani announced that he was visiting his home country of Uganda to celebrate his recent marriage to his wife Rama with loved ones. And, per NY1, Cuomo has spent multiple weekends this month in the Hamptons attending campaign fundraisers. “I’m told my opponents are leaving town either to celebrate winning half an election or maybe writing another book on failed leadership,” he said.
Adams went on, suggesting some possible travel destinations of his own. “I can think of many places I’d go to get away from y’all: Ankara, Istanbul, or Zero Bond,” he said, a clear reference to his own scandalous foreign travel to Turkey, and one of his frequent late-night haunts in the city.
The mayor then said he was staying put. “But I realized I’m not a wannabe mayor. I’m the actual mayor. I just can’t get up and leave. If I’m gone, there won’t be an Eric Adams keeping things under control. Somebody has to keep us safe and get stuff done,” he said.
It was just last fall when federal prosecutors unveiled a multiple count indictment against Adams, accusing the mayor of knowingly soliciting illegal donations from foreign nationals, particularly those with ties to the Turkish government. The pending case was later dismissed by a federal judge at the direction of the Trump-led Justice Department, a move that prompted mass resignations of career prosecutors throughout the agency in Manhattan and Washington in protest. One day after the judge’s ruling, the mayor announced his plans to run as an independent, citing the case as playing a role in his decision.
The Adams clip is just the latest example of candidates in the race trying to enhance their online presence with more shortform videos, a hallmark of Mamdani’s campaign. Even Cuomo, who was criticized for his more hands-off and aloof approach to his primary campaign, has been churning out campaign videos on social media showing the former governor interacting with voters or talking directly to camera.
At least one local politician isn’t a fan. City Councilmember Chi Ossé, a supporter of Mamdani who is known for his own successful weaving of political communication and social media, made his distaste for the trend known:
