Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live On NBC 4’s “News 4 NY At 6 pm”

March 13, 2025

Natalie Pasquarella: I want to get back to Manhattan now and what has been just a busy, busy news week. We're being joined now by Mayor Eric Adams, live from Gracie Mansion tonight to speak with us. Mr. Mayor, we thank you so much for joining us.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you very much. It's good to be on with you.

David Ushery: Okay, Mr. Mayor, let's get right to it. We know you now have some big initiatives this week, including one about guns and keeping New Yorkers safe. We're going to ask you about that shortly, but we just want to get to a few headlines of the day. 

We reported at least three shelters were served with federal subpoenas demanding names and dates of birth about migrants who stayed there. Your Law Department so far hasn't commented on the city's legal strategy. Will you and your administration turn over that information?

Mayor Adams: Well, it was not issued to us. We know nothing about it. And that's why probably the Law Department did not respond, because everyone knows that grand jury subpoenas and investigations are supposed to be secretive only when people leak those information, which is inappropriate. We have nothing to speak on that because it was not presented to the city.

Ushery: It was in the public realm, though. Do you think this is something you would comply with? Some legal experts say it could put pressure on city officials.

Mayor Adams: I'm not quite sure how it got into the public realm. Again, I'm going to comply with anything that is supposed to be done that's appropriate. And one should not be talking about grand jury subpoenas.

Pasquarella: Mr. Mayor, we've seen the protests. We just showed them in the newscast over the past couple of days over the ICE arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, the pro-Palestinian activist and lawful U.S. resident. Now, New York Attorney General Tish James, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, they've expressed some real concern about the arrest. We know that the Trump administration has accused Khalil of supporting activities aligned with Hamas. Now, in your opinion, was this arrest justified?

Mayor Adams: Well, and I've been extremely clear. The city does not participate in any form of civil deportation. We're not allowed to do it by law. And at the same time, if you go back to last year, I talked about what was happening on some of our college campuses in general, but specifically on [Columbia’s] campus. When you saw some of the anti-American sentiment and statements, when you talk about pro-Hamas statements, anti-Jewish statements, I don't support that. 

And I made it clear over and over again last year that I think it's inappropriate to continue to put young people in this situation. No group should be afraid to go to school. But the federal government decides who's going to deal with deportation, not the mayor of the city.

Ushery: Mr. Mayor, you say you're seeking re-election, but political observers say your campaign re-election operations and fundraising are nowhere near where they should be at this point in the race. So it's led some to wonder, is there any scenario where you drop out of this race?

Mayor Adams: And think about this for a moment. I heard people say that, well, you're behind one candidate or two candidates. But there are seven candidates behind me. No one is asking them to drop out of the race. I'm the incumbent. 

I have $3 million on hand. I'm very clear on my plan. No one that's running for mayor has ever won mayor but me. I know what I'm doing, and I'm going to execute the plan according to my timetable. I'm 100 percent running for re-election.

Ushery: Running and no scenario where you drop out as of now, right? 

Mayor Adams: I'm sorry? 

Ushery: No scenario where you drop out. You are committed to running.

Mayor Adams: No, no. Listen. I say this over and over again. New Yorkers are not quitters. Andrew Yang was up on me in double digits in February, and we're not calling Andrew Yang mayor. We're calling Eric Adams mayor. New Yorkers don't quit. I'm going to continue to fight hard for New Yorkers.

Pasquarella: Okay, you're clarifying that for us. Mr. Mayor, you've expressed some frustration we know in the past with the media that some of your successful programs aren't being covered. But today in our 4 p.m. newscast, we want you to know we reported on some of your new affordable housing units, and you made a big announcement when it comes to getting guns off of New York City streets. So can you tell us more specifically about that plan?

Mayor Adams: It's so important when you look at what we did today around affordable housing, supportive housing. I think the gentleman who was there with us today, Elvis, really personified it. He went through a terrible time when his family member died of COVID. He lost a loved one through an unfortunate circumstance. He found himself on the street homeless. 

We found him and stated that we're not going to give up on our fellow New Yorkers. I said it from the beginning of my administration. There's nothing dignified about having people sleep on the streets and our subway system. And we announced an important project with Woodhull today that is building affordable housing, several units of affordable housing.

Ushery: Mr. Mayor, you said Elvis is in the building. You wanted to say that line today. Real quickly, about 30 seconds. Tell us, though, not to shortchange it, the gun initiative you announced early this week so New Yorkers can hear it.

Mayor Adams: A thousand guns. A thousand guns removed off the streets. Our CRT team and other law enforcement officers, 40 of them were ghost guns. This is something people could make in their own homes. It just goes to show you when you look at 20,700 guns removed off the streets, every gun saved a life and stopped the trauma.

Pasquarella: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Eric Adams for joining us tonight. We do really appreciate it. We hope you come back.

Mayor Adams: Yes. Take care.

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