Back in the public eye for the first time in days after a brief health leave, New York City Mayor Eric Adams gave a fiery speech in which he shot down any possible resignation rumors.
"Who started this stupid rumor that I was stepping down on Friday? Are you out of your mind?" a fired-up Adams said to cheers from clergy at an interfaith breakfast Thursday morning. "'Eric is resigning in 72 hours.' How many times do I have to say: When people say step down, I say step up."
The mayor's comments came as suspense about his future had been building. Outside a police department event in midtown Thursday morning, Adams did not answer questions about his health nor about any leniency he may be negotiating with the Trump administration, saying only "Alex Spiro is my attorney."
The timing of NYC Mayor Eric Adam's withdrawal from the public eye due to routine medical tests has caused new questions about the future of the embattled mayor. NBC New York's Melissa Russo reports.
Sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday that an attorney for Adams had reached out to the Department of Justice seeking to have the case against the mayor dropped. Additionally, a DOJ official told NBC News that the office of Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove has been involved in discussions with the Southern District of New York and Adams' team about the pending case.
A plea to drop the case was first reported by the New York Times, which noted it is not unusual nor particularly surprising that a high-profile defendant such as Adams, with equally high-profile counsel, would reach out to a new administration's DOJ to ask for a fresh look at their case.
With the faith leaders on Thursday, Adams said he relied on God during an apparent reference to his health scare.
"Last week was a scary week for me," he said, without providing further information about what had caused him to not be "feeling his best," as his team previously stated.
In what sounded like a campaign speech, Adams was defiant defending his record, touting turnarounds in the economy and crime. But he also seemed aware that some New Yorkers may now be questioning: If he gets a pass on his criminal charges, would be be loyal to NYC or to President Donald Trump?
"I'm committed to the city. I love this city," the mayor said.
There has not been any indication federal prosecutors in Manhattan, nor the DOJ, were considering dropping the case, one person familiar with the matter said. Prosecutors recently told a judge they had uncovered evidence of "additional criminal conduct” against the mayor and informed the court they were likely to bring more charges against Adams.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment.
Adams' attorney, Alex Spiro, is one of a fleet of lawyers that represent Elon Musk, who has maintained a close relationship with Trump since his election campaign over the summer.
Adams visited then-President-elect Trump in Florida on Jan. 17, and was offered a last-minute invitation to the inauguration in Washington D.C. on Jan. 20, coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The mayor has brushed off questions that his criminal case — or the possibility of a presidential pardon if he is convicted — came up during the sit-down near Trump's estate, saying the case is something his legal team is handling.
Adams is scheduled to go on trial in April on charges that he accepted luxury travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals in exchange for political favors, including helping the Turkish officials resolve city approvals for a diplomatic building in Manhattan.
Mayor Eric Adams is scaling back events, saying it's because of health reasons. However, the mayor's office insisted that city business will continue as usual for the week. NBC New York's Andrew Siff reports.
The mayor had been on temporary sick leave since Monday for what his office has called routine medical tests. There had been rumors since Tuesday that he would plead guilty or even resign imminently, but Spiro said Wednesday "sorry, he's not resigning," and added the mayor has nothing to plead guilty for.
"He's innocent, as I've said since the beginning," said Spiro outside court after a brief, closed-door hearing.
Adams did not attend that hearing. Spiro did not disclose whether any talks with prosecutors were underway.
Tom Winter, Ken Dilanian and Ryan Reilly of NBC News contributed to this report.
