Speculation around New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ political future reached a fever pitch this week, as rumors swirled about his potential exit from the mayoral race and a possible move to President Donald Trump’s administration. The drama unfolded against the backdrop of a fiercely contested mayoral campaign, with Adams facing mounting pressure from Trump allies, business leaders, and even former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s camp, all eager to reshape the race and deny Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani a November victory.
On September 5, 2025, sources told The New York Post that Adams would be heading to Washington, DC, the following week for a White House sit-down to discuss a possible role in the Trump administration. One source close to the mayor confided, “Eric Adams knows he can’t win [in November] and is exploring his options.” The chatter only intensified after it emerged that Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff—whom Adams met in Florida earlier in the week—was pushing for the mayor to be nominated as the next ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Though the seriousness of the plan remained unclear, the political intrigue was undeniable.
In response to the rumors, Adams called an emergency campaign meeting on Friday morning, which lasted more than an hour and led to the cancellation of another mayoral event. Staff from Adams’ campaign and the White House had penciled in a meeting for Monday, though scheduling conflicts—such as Trump’s planned attendance at the US Open in Queens and a Yankees game on the anniversary of September 11—could push it later into the week.
Despite the mounting speculation and the apparent pressure from Trump’s camp, Adams emerged from Gracie Mansion on Friday afternoon to deliver a fiery and defiant statement. “I’m running and I’m going to beat [Zohran] Mamdani,” he declared, referring to the frontrunner socialist Democratic nominee. Adams pulled no punches, lashing out at both Mamdani and Cuomo as “spoiled brats” born with “silver spoons in their mouths.” He reserved special ire for Cuomo, calling him “a snake and a liar,” and insisted, “I am in this race, and I’m the only one who can beat Mamdani. Andrew has had a career of pushing black candidates out of races.”
Adams also issued a written statement reiterating that “no formal offer had been made”—an assertion confirmed by sources familiar with the conversations. He maintained, however, that he would consider a call to serve, if asked. His campaign spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, reinforced to reporters that Adams intends to complete his term and remain in office, signaling to the White House that the mayor was not ready to bow out just yet.
President Trump, for his part, confirmed his preference for Cuomo to take on Mamdani, disparaging the Democratic nominee as a “communist.” Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said, “I would say that Cuomo might have a chance of winning if it was one-on-one. If it’s not one-on-one, it’s going to be a hard race.” Trump insisted he had not offered Adams an ambassadorship, stating, “There’s nothing wrong with doing that, but I didn’t do that.”
The political calculus behind the maneuvering was clear: Adams’ exit could consolidate support around Cuomo, giving him a better shot at defeating Mamdani in November. However, the legal and procedural hurdles were significant. Under state law, Adams would need to resign and move out of New York City to be removed from the November ballot. Whether the potential White House job would require such a drastic step remained an open question, leaving Adams to wrestle with the prospect of stepping away completely—possibly banking his campaign war chest for a future return to Democratic politics—or entering the Trump administration, a move that “closes some doors,” as one source put it.
Adams’ post-mayoral ambitions have long included opening an international consultancy, according to insiders. Yet, the allure of a prestigious ambassadorship—especially to a power player like Saudi Arabia—was reportedly tempting, given the potential for lucrative relationships down the road. A former staffer to Mayor Michael Bloomberg told The New York Post, “An ambassadorship route is a little easier to execute because there are more options and those have a lot of prestige, especially in powerful and important countries. I would think that Saudi Arabia is probably really interesting to Eric because the relationship one would make to a gulf state with their voluminous amount of investments and certainly could be very lucrative down the road.”
Not all floated positions were deemed worthy by Adams. Sources close to him said he would view an offer at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as below his station. “Like all politicians, Eric Adams has an outsize ego,” said Ken Frydman, a longtime Democratic operative. “He won’t settle for undersecretary or ambassador to a third-world country.”
Meanwhile, the chaos surrounding Trump’s intervention in New York City politics drew a sharp rebuke from Governor Kathy Hochul. “Contrary to what the president thinks, he’s not a king, he’s not a kingmaker, and he should not be anointing the next mayor of New York City,” Hochul told reporters. Later, when pressed by a reporter, she added, “We’re not fucking selling our city.” Hochul, along with other top state Democrats—including Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries—has yet to publicly endorse Mamdani, leaving the party’s establishment in a state of flux.
Adams’ campaign, which began with hopes of rebranding himself as a moderate Democrat and a champion of working-class New Yorkers, has faltered badly. Polls show him languishing in the single digits, while Cuomo has hovered in the mid-to-high 20s. Mamdani, who stunned the political world with his upset win in the June Democratic primary, has held a sizable lead ever since, though his support has stagnated in recent months, weighed down by high negatives among some voters. The rise of the 33-year-old democratic socialist has alarmed business leaders and moderate Democrats, who fear his hard-left platform could damage the city and hurt the party’s chances in next year’s House races.
The pressure on Adams only intensified when billionaire Bill Ackman, a longtime supporter, dramatically withdrew his backing on September 5 and endorsed Cuomo instead. “Eric should step aside and not run for reelection,” Ackman posted on social media. “Eric’s polls have deteriorated substantially since the primary, and it has become increasingly clear that he does not have a chance to beat @ZohranKMamdani.”
For Adams, the stakes are enormous. Leaving City Hall for the White House would be unprecedented and could forever define his already scandal-tinged legacy. Comparisons to the infamously corrupt former Mayor Jimmy Walker—who resigned in disgrace in 1932—have surfaced, with some insiders warning Adams against a move that could be seen as a step down from leading the nation’s largest city.
As the campaign barrels toward November, the drama shows no sign of abating. Adams’ fate hangs in the balance, with his next move likely to reshape not just the mayoral race but the future of New York City politics.