Brian Kilmeade: Let’s bring in New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Mr. Mayor, I know it’s going to be a lot of important people in downtown New York City later today. The president of the United States is going to be there today, obviously. Former officials like Governor Pataki will be there. What are your thoughts, 24 years later?
Mayor Eric Adams: I do feel, number one, as a lieutenant during that time, coming down to the site that evening and watching the ground smoldering and seeing two buildings that were the symbols of our strength here in the New York area, watching them collapse and, you know, those emotions come back.
But also, I have the feeling of our resiliency. 9/12, we got up. We saw what we were made of and we continued our pursuit to tell the entire country that if New York can get up after being at Ground Zero and what happened here, the entire country can get up.
Lawrence Jones: So true. Mr. Mayor, we were attacked by a radical ideology, radical Islamic terrorism. And I’m just curious, as we see people marching in the middle of the street daily in New York, many of them that espouse the same doctrine of the people that attacked us. Have we forgotten about 9/11 and the pain that it caused?
Mayor Adams: That question is so important, which you're stating. I think what we have forgotten is the importance of telling our history and our story. It breaks my heart when I watch the radicalization of our young people through social media and through commentary that they just don't understand. And we're seeing that radicalization every day.
A few years ago, they were celebrating bin Laden, saying America deserves this. We are watching this internal hate. And my role will always be, not only when I was a police officer, but now as the mayor, I am going to protect this country and city from all of our enemies, both foreign and domestic. That is the role that I'm going to be committed to. And I believe we have to constantly mind our young people. This is the greatest country on the globe, and we have enemies, both foreign and domestic, that want to hurt us.
Ainsley Earhardt: Mr. Mayor, you are in this re-election fight? What are your reflections, what are your thoughts as one of the leaders in the largest city in our country when you hear the hate that caused the death of Charlie Kirk? We’re looking at the hate that caused 9/11. There was hate that almost led to the death of our current president, Donald Trump. What is your response? How does our country respond to this?
Mayor Adams: There's more of us than of them. There are more Americans that embrace the flag. There are more Americans that embrace our way of life. And there are those that hate our way of life and we have to stop trying to glorify that or pretend as though it doesn't exist. There are people, both foreign and domestic, that hate our way of life. And as the mayor, I'm going to continue to lift up that way of life.
And we can't go backwards. We have to be clear to make sure that we reinforce our law enforcement personnel, both locally and federally. We must make sure that we go after those who want to bring about this violence in our city and our country. Just as we saw innocent New Yorkers that were shot by a gunman that drove across town with an automatic weapon, we must continue our pursuit to protect our homeland here in America, both from, again, foreign and domestic enemies.
Kilmeade: Well today, the president of the United States is going to be in downtown New York and then he’s going to go to Yankees Stadium. In light of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, what has the coordination been like with the 34,000 NYPD officers and the Secret Service? Because, you're the mayor, but you’re also fundamentally a cop first.
Mayor Adams: Well said and you never forget that. You know, you're in a bulletproof vest for 22 years protecting children and families. It does not go away merely because you retire. And it is so important that we continue that coordination and collaboration with our federal partners. And we are doing that every day.
Really hats off to the thousands of men and women who really water the tree of freedom that many of us sit under every day. They water it with their blood and their commitment. And we're going to continue that collaboration to protect New Yorkers and Americans.
Jones: Mr. Mayor, in light of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, for which many of us believe was because of his political ideology that some disagree with. And it manifested from their side in hating, killing him. What is your message to the country, as the mayor of the largest city in the country about this political hatred that’s going on in our country?
Mayor Adams: And I said it over and over again, when you saw the attempted life on the president, when you are watching an innocent man just based on his philosophy, 31 year-old, two children and a wife. When you watch in front of our eyes for him to be assassinated merely because of his beliefs, this is not the country we want to leave for our children.
We should not resolve our concerns with bullets. It should be with a ballot. It should be with debate, not destruction. But we have engulfed this belief by a small number of people who believe the only way to answer these questions is through violence. And we are witnessing it over and over again. Again, not only here on our soil, but across the globe.
But America must lead the way just as we did 2001, September 11th. We led the way of showing who we are as Americans. We must do that again. And when you see a destructive act like this to attack September 11th and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, when that bullet hits the body, the painful trajectory continues even through the anatomy of the city and the country. It's the same here. We're still seeing the residual impact of 9/11. We must never forget what it caused.
Kilmeade: I know you got to run and we only have a minute, but I am so proud of the fact that we still read the names, there’s still a gathering, there’s still a ringing of the bells, there’s still a moment of silence 24 years later. That is pretty astounding that America, at least on this day, does not forget.
Mayor Adams: Well said. And the ringing of the bell, the reading of the names must not only remain here down in Ground Zero, but it must cascade throughout every classroom, every college, every corporation. All of us together must have one sentence, never forget. Never forget.
Earhard: Absolutely. Where were you on 9/11? Were you a police officer at that time?
Mayor Adams: I was a lieutenant. It was election day, if you recall, primary day. And I walked down across the bridge because as police officers, we know when there's a major incident, you have to respond to your command or your closest precinct. And I made my way to my command. And then I made my way down here to Ground Zero.
Kilmeade: And you'll have a chance to talk to the president where you flacked that he was a business man at this time too, about where you guys were 24 years ago. Mayor Eric Adams, thanks so much.
Mayor Adams: Thank you. Take care.
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