New York City mayor Eric Adams has sparked backlash on social media after he invoked 9/11 to describe his year and emphasize the city’s greatness.
The Democrat used the unfortunate reference when asked to summarize his 2023, which included the increasingly-concerning migrant crisis in the city and an FBI probe into his campaign fundraising.
‘This is a place where every day you wake up you could experience everything from a plane crashing into our trade center through a person who’s celebrating a new business that’s about to open,’ Adams told Pix 11.
‘This is a very, very complicated city, and that’s why it’s the greatest city on the globe.’
Adams’ comments were quickly noticed by social media users, who took the interview as an opportunity to mock the mayor.
New York City mayor Eric Adams has sparked backlash on social media after he invoked 9/11 to describe his ‘complex’ year and emphasize the city’s greatness
Adams’ comments were quickly noticed by social media users, who took the interview as an opportunity to mock the mayor
One X user wrote: ‘I am once again asking why you people can’t just elect a normal mayor.’
Another said: ‘Adams gives the worst answer any politician has ever given to a soft ball question.’
A third added: ‘The culture, arts, cuisine, the airplanes flying into the WTC. I LOVE NY.’
A fourth echoed: ‘VISIT NEW YORK CITY! Every Day is an Adventure! New Businesses! Planes Slamming into Said Businesses!’
Meanwhile the popular account Populism Updates branded the moment ‘somehow the worst Eric Adams moment.’
The social media backlash is just the latest for Adams, who has had a tough year leading the Big Apple.
On Sunday he called out the Biden administration and the federal government over its ‘baffling’ inability to address the migrant crisis.
In a Sunday interview, Adams was asked why his fellow Democrats in DC have ignored his repeated, in-person pleas to help, the mayor said he was at a loss and the migrant problem had spread to other cities.
‘I find it baffling because now you are hearing the coalitions that started with Eric, now it has gone to Chicago, Massachusetts, Denver… so many municipalities are joining me and saying this is impacting our city, so I’m not sure why we’re not seeing a response’ Adams told ABC 7.
Adams has estimated the city will spend $12 billion over the next three years to handle the influx, setting up large-scale emergency shelters, renting out hotels and providing various government services for migrants.
Earlier this month the Democrat announced a $110.5 billion budget, claiming cuts across all departments were necessary after the city spent $1.45 billion in fiscal 2023 on the migrant crisis.
The budget cuts would cause NYPD officers to be cut by a fifth, or 13.5 percent, by postponing the next five academy classes, bringing officers below 30,000 – down from 36,000.
It comes as Adams’ campaigning authorities are investigating whether Adams’ campaign conspired with a Brooklyn construction company and the Turkish government to funnel foreign money into the campaign’s coffers, apparently through a straw donor scheme.
Adams’ devices were seized in the investigation and the home of his top fundraiser was raided.
Neither the mayor nor anyone in his team have been charged with a crime.