Scott Stanford: All right, motorcade madness over on the east side of Manhattan this week. The UN General Assembly kicks in today, barriers, cones, police at every corner, frozen zones popping up all over the place. I want to bring in Mayor Adams. Mayor, thanks for taking a few minutes this morning, my friend.
Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Great to be on with you. And you're right, this is a gridlock emergency day, week, I should say. And so, we are encouraging New Yorkers to use public transportation. We have the best public transportation in the country, and this is the time to do so.
Stanford: Mayor, listen, you know, we got this influx of world leaders and delegates for the General Assembly, right? You got officer assignments, delegate safety, public safety. This has got to be an incredible undertaking, which it's pretty hard to avoid disrupting the daily life for New Yorkers at this point, right?
Mayor Adams: Yes, it is. But we're used to this. New Yorkers know there's a reason we have on the East River, the United Nations brings together the world leaders across the globe to really talk about important incidents and important things that are playing out on our international stage. And what our benefit is that we have a great public transportation system from our trains, from our buses, our undergrounds, and we need to utilize that during times like this.
Stanford: Mayor, after a couple of new incidents, I want to talk about the Central Park horse carriages, right? The conversation's been ramped up as to whether or not those horse-drawn carriages need to go or should they stay.
So last week, you announced an executive order to create a pathway towards ending that industry in the city. Now you're being blasted by the Transport Workers Union of America that you're a “backstabber,” siding with the real estate developers. I got to imagine at this point, you see things a little differently when it comes to those horses.
Mayor Adams: If the horse that lost control and ran through our streets, if that did not impact every New Yorker who witnessed it, I don't know what would. What would have happened if it would have struck one of our older adults or a child or a family? It is time to evolve away from the horse carriages in Central Park. This is an era that has passed us, and we want to do it, as first deputy mayor stated, with our brains and our hearts, our hearts for the animals, our hearts for public safety.
But at the same time, we are proposing real ways of cycling out of the industry, such as purchasing the medallions, electric vehicles, finding other jobs for the drivers. This can be done in the right way, and I'm sorry the TWU feels that way, but I have to do what's right for public safety in this city, and that's why we made that decision. It's time for the City Council now, the speaker to put the bill on the floor, hold a hearing. Stop holding this up, and get it done.
Stanford: Yeah, the electric carriages doesn't sound like the worst idea in the world. Listen, Mayor, latest poll on the race, YouGov, CBS News, has you in last, at 6 percent. Now there were reports recently, last week, two weeks ago, you were going to conduct some internal polling to see about whether or not it was worth you staying in the race. Did your folks, did your people ever do that internal polling?
Mayor Adams: The polling was about messaging, and it was to determine if we stand in a race or not. Every election you do messaging, you do focus groups. This is what you do in the campaign season. What has hurt me the most is for the last almost seven weeks now, it has been reported widely in our press that Eric is going to Saudi Arabia, Eric is going to HUD, Eric is leaving tomorrow, over and over again.
This has decimated my ability to run a campaign. You know, when you run a campaign, you need dollars and cents. My fundraising has hurt because of these reports. The Campaign Finance Board has removed $4 million from my campaign. What could not have been accomplished at the polling place to beat me, they're accomplishing it through other methods. It's unfortunate because the voters should have a decision on who's going to be the mayor in 2026.
Stanford: So, will you, mayor, be staying in the race right through election day?
Mayor Adams: You know how many times I've answered that question?
Stanford: Yeah, I'm sure, I know. I just want to get it here on September 22nd, the first day of fall.
Mayor Adams: You know, giving you a September 22nd version is no different than the version I gave eight weeks ago. I stood in front of Gracie Mansion and clearly stated what I was doing, and it did not help me at all. In fact, it continued to hurt me.
I think that we should allow the voters to decide who the next mayor is, and let me do what all candidates are allowed to do, and that is to campaign, and most importantly, to raise the money to campaign. And I've been really damaged by the inability to do so. Normally, your opponents do the television and the newspaper ads to try to stop you from running, it's just the opposite for me. I feel as though I'm running against the media. That's my sixth opponent.
Stanford: Mayor, listen, I want to thank you for your time. I saw you on some of the local TV stations this morning. I was digging the tie you were wearing today. You look very handsome, sir. And listen, mayor, regardless of how you decide to play it, I just want to wish you good luck with that mayoral race.
Mayor Adams: Thank you. Take care.
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