On December 15, New York City Mayor Eric Adams held a roundtable meeting with minority and community media as his term comes to an end. He not only looked back on his four years in office, emphasizing improvements in public safety and order, but also surprisingly shifted the focus to the “end of his political career.” Adams expressed that after stepping down on December 31, he currently has “no desire to stay in the public office sector,” and he wants to bid farewell to politics and return to private life, saying, “I can’t wait for January 1st to become an ordinary citizen again.”
After enduring a 40-year career in politics under scrutiny, criticism, and constant questioning, Adams said that what he looks forward to most is being able to “smoke a cigar, have a glass of malt whiskey, without having to worry about anyone bothering me,” and spend time with his family and son.
Adams revealed that while he had one dream job in mind before, there are now “four dream jobs” calling out to him. He also mentioned wanting to write a book, return to campus, and evaluate some business opportunities. When asked if he might run for public office again, Adams replied with caution, saying “never say never,” but emphasizing that right now he truly just wants to rest.
Regarding the “unresolved” issues during his term, Adams pointed to the language barrier in accessing government services. He mentioned that citizens who do not speak English often struggle to access the “deserved government services,” and even feel embarrassed and hesitant when entering government offices, reflecting persistent systemic barriers. Adams stated that the city government recently announced the use of technological tools to improve real-time translation and communication, with the goal of enabling smoother communication between citizens and the government in over a hundred languages, creating a “more language-friendly city.”
Apart from language, he also listed two ongoing tasks: one is “continuing to suppress crime,” emphasizing that even with overall improvements in public safety, “one crime is still one too many”; the other is addressing mental health and addiction issues, especially concerning “severe drug addiction and those unable to care for themselves,” and carrying some institutional reforms into the next term of the city government.
During the roundtable meeting, Adams repeatedly centered his discussion around accomplishments, claiming that the city government had “restored order in New York” over the past four years, including seizing around 25,000 illegal firearms, and stating that the subway system had reached its “safest point on record.”
However, he also acknowledged that “safety” and “sense of security” do not always align, as even with improved crime statistics, high-profile criminal cases still impact public perception. For example, random attacks in malls make people feel like “perception is reality”. He mentioned that one of the city government’s strategies is to increase the visibility of law enforcement, enhancing police patrols and having a presence that is “visible but not oppressive,” gradually narrowing the gap between perceived safety and statistical indicators.
During the roundtable meeting, Adams was asked about recent bomb threats received by the Chinese community and whether the police had credible threats related to the situation in China. Adams responded that no credible threats related to the Chinese community or China incidents appeared in the city government’s briefing. However, he expressed willingness to arrange for citizens to contact the city’s intelligence department privately to provide clues for thorough investigation by the intelligence unit.
Adams stated that the average New Yorker is mainly concerned about safe commuting, children’s education, stable employment, and a comfortable life, but voters may not necessarily understand the details of political organization and policies. He expressed concern that if the new government adopts the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) organization’s proposals, it could have a “destructive” impact on the city.
During the roundtable meeting, Adams specifically mentioned several issues he believes would deteriorate the quality of city life, such as decriminalizing sex work, releasing a large number of inmates from Rikers Island prison, adjusting tax burdens based on ethnicity, weakening mayoral control over school governance, and allowing the resurgence of street camps. He recalled visiting the camps early in his tenure, witnessing the disorderly conditions with excrement, rotten food, drug paraphernalia, and individuals with severe mental illness, emphasizing that “New York City cannot regress”.
On ensuring public safety and continuing policies like clearing tent camps of homeless individuals, Adams stated that he could only “advise” Mayor-elect Mamdani on these matters and could not “commit” to any specific actions. Regarding the handover between the current and incoming mayors, Adams repeatedly emphasized that he is still the mayor “until December 31,” therefore, he will continue to exercise his powers to appoint and fill committee vacancies, leaving relevant information for the transition team.
For Adams, this roundtable meeting served as both a summary of achievements and a personal farewell. With the theme of “going back to life,” he deliberately kept his description of the next steps in his career vague, refusing to immediately continue in a public role but leaving room for future possibilities.