There’s a line from rap supergroup De La Soul’s song “Stakes is High” that’s about what people are willing to do in moments of desperation: “When them stakes is high, you damn sure try… / To do anything to get the piece of the pie.”
Lately, the line has felt like an apt descriptor of New York City’s criminally indicted mayor, Eric Adams, who seems to have embarked on a charm offensive to get on the good side of President-elect Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.
Adams’ administration has been rocked by a variety of allegations of misconduct, and the mayor himself is facing federal charges including bribery, to which he has pleaded not guilty. In the weeks leading up to last year’s elections and in the months since, Adams has defended Trump and even praised his incoming administration, actions that led “The View” host Sunny Hostins in November to ask the mayor point-blank if he is angling for a pardon from Trump. The mayor didn’t answer directly, saying, “I did nothing wrong … I have a legal team. They’re going to manage that case.”
And while the mayor has been known to enjoy New York nightlife with selected VIPs, his latest rendezvous is raising some eyebrows. The New York Post reported on Adams’ recent sit-down with Trump-aligned Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Blakeman is an associate of conservative Nassau County Judge Joseph Nocella Jr., whom Trump has nominated to be U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Blakeman praised Trump’s selection of Nocella for the role.
To be clear, it’s possible that Adams’ flirtation with MAGA world and its policies are heartfelt. I’ve written over the past few years about how Adams, a former Republican, has exhibited Trumpian behavior. But his criminal case has arguably given him an added incentive to cozy up to Trump and Trump’s supporters, now that his political future — and potentially his freedom — hang in the balance.