Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live on Inaugural Episode of WABC-TV's "Eyewitness News Morning @ 10"

September 12, 2023

Mike Marza: Tonight the strongest words yet from New York Mayor Adams about the challenges and costs New York City is facing from an influx of asylum seekers.
[Start video.]

Mayor Eric Adams: This issue will destroy New York City. Destroy New York City.

Abou Diakhate: Even today right now we are still struggling for civil rights, because there are people who condemn us without even knowing us.

Citizen: Take them home with you!

Mike Marza: Class started today, nearly one million New York City public school students against some backdrop of a looming bus driver strike.

Shirleen Allicot: Yes. Teachers and administrators say that they are also concerned about reading levels.

Mayor Adams: All of these things, we have to still produce a product that will allow our children to be ready for the future.

We built more new supportive homes and homes for formerly homeless New Yorkers in any year in New York City history.

We're going to be the cleanest big city in America.

You may not know it, but I hate rats.

Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Department of Sanitation: Why have we tolerated this for so long?

[End video.]

Sam Champion: Welcome.

Mayor Eric Adams: You know, what's interesting? That the biggest transformation people are making as Eric is mayor is that I'm a plain‑talking New Yorker. I don't search through a thesaurus [to find] what your comfort level is. I'm just a New Yorker, like the energy of this show. You know, you bring this unique energy, and so you go from these plastic, you know, very rigid mayors and now you've got this earring‑wearing, you know, different type of mayor.

Allicot: Right.

Mayor Adams: And people… That's discomforting.

Champion: It's true we haven't heard it in a while. That is true.

Allicot: Mayor Adams, not one to mince words. You are real talk, okay? Real talk.

Mayor Adams: For real New Yorkers.

Allicot: You are a New Yorker. And a New Yorker like you, very busy, as we just saw, a very busy man, you are everywhere. So, I would love to know — I think we all do — what keeps you up at night?

Mayor Adams: Migrants.

Allicot: Mmm.

Mayor Adams: Issue.

Champion: Wow, right off the top.

Mayor Adams: Migrant issue. And it's not the migrants, what we're doing to the migrants, it is wrong. The precursor to sleep that allows us to experience the American dream is the right to work. There's nothing more tragic than having people come to this country and say you can't provide for yourself.

When I spent the night in a migrant shelter and spoke to migrants, they said we don't want anything free from you, Eric. We just want to work. And for us not to do that, it is impacting long‑term New Yorkers and it's impacting migrants.

Marza: I know you've been calling on the federal government to issue that work permit authorization for these asylum seekers. I’m just curious, when was the last time you talked to President Biden about this situation?

Mayor Adams: I haven't communicated with him since earlier this year. I spoke with the White House chief of staff yesterday and shared some of my thoughts and ideas and the economic impact of it, the long term, because remember, we have to find $5 billion. Now, who needs governmental services? You know, you and I, we will survive if we didn't have those services every day.

But low income, struggling New Yorkers…

Champion: Absolutely.

Mayor Adams: I have to go into their budget now and take that money out of their budget. And I think it's really reckless of the comptroller of the City of New York to state that this is not a real crisis, when he's supposed to be watching our dollars.

Champion: I feel like you've been very clear on stating that they need to work, they want to work. And I think you've been calling on Washington a lot. Where do we stand on that? Is there any progress? Do you see...how do you feel about it? Do you feel like you'll get there?

Mayor Adams: Well, the congressional delegation is really joining our call. The governor's joining our call, business leaders. We have thousands of jobs [chuckles] that's the irony of it. Like, we needed lifeguards over the summer.

Allicot: Yes, yes, yes.

Mayor Adams: We could have filled those jobs. We need various levels of employment. And so we are hoping that the federal government looks at what we're saying and make it happen, because I can't break the law and say I'm going to allow you to work anyway.

Now, people are working, so we're creating a black market of employment: low wages, women are being sexually exploited, workers have been treated unfairly. So, you see the increase in prostitution in our city, because people have to provide for their families. And it is really going to impact the quality of life in our city if we don't get this issue resolved.

Allicot: You said it — they were really profound words from you, mayor.

Mayor Adams: Yes.

Allicot: "Destroy the city."

Mayor Adams: Yes.

Allicot: And it seems like you're trying to reckon with something. Real talk, like we just said…

Mayor Adams: Yes.

Allicot: But also, trying to keep New York what it has always been for immigrants. I'm an immigrant.

Mayor Adams: Yes.

Allicot: Many of us are immigrants.

Mayor Adams: Yes.

Allicot: And as we know, immigrants did help build this country. So, how do you try to reckon with both of those?

Mayor Adams: Well, first, we don't allow people to take that honest conversation to prepare New Yorkers and distort the reality. I was very clear, you heard the quote. I didn't say immigrants, migrants are going to destroy our cities. They contribute to our city.

Champion: Right.

Allicot: Right.

Mayor Adams: You have… What's happening in our country right now, you have the far‑far left and the far‑far right…

Allicot: Politicizing what you're saying.

Mayor Adams: They're co‑conspirators. You know? They're the same co‑conspirators that said everyone should be given a gun, the far‑far left is saying if they're caught with a gun and commit a crime they shouldn't be bothered or touched. So, you're finding these co‑conspirators, they're dividing our city and country when everyday taxpayers ‑‑ New Yorkers and Americans ‑‑ are in the middle and just saying, we want clean, safe cities so that we can raise healthy children and families.

Marza: And to that point — and we only have a couple of more minutes in this particular section — but you know, a lot of us are parents out there. I've got a friend, Fred, for instance, in Bay Ridge. He's saying, I want to stay in New York City...

Mayor Adams: Right.

Marza: But costs are going up. Next year I may be dinged with more than $20 to drive to the office in Midtown. What do you say? What is the case to tell New Yorkers who are saying, all right, I'm out. It's too expensive.

[Crosstalk]

Champion: Might be priced out.

Marza: It's too dirty. It's all these other things. I can't deal with it anymore.

Mayor Adams: That's a great point. First of all, we have to move from how we felt to how we are feeling. We...sometimes you're living in how you felt. I know how people felt in January 1st, 2022. Crime was surging, crime is down, shooting is down. Five major categories of crime have decreased. Subway system is back, 3.8 million riders. 99 percent of our jobs are back. Tourism is back.

We're going to be one of the last probably of what we're doing around containerizing our garbage clean, you may not know it but I hate rats.

[Laughter.]

Champion: It's a great line.

Mayor Adams: So, you are seeing tourism coming back. So, the city is back, and I know how people felt. I'm saying to them, look how you feel. Look at the presence of your police officers. Look at the union contracts that we have settled. I just came from Amazon, their corporate headquarters in the old Lord & Taylor building, 2,000 employees are now coming back to the job three days a week.

So, there's a recovery process. We don't need anything to get in the way of that recovery, you know. But this city is not coming back, the city's back.

Marza: Well, and we will be back, because there's much more to talk about, if you don't mind hanging out with us. It's so great to have Mayor Adams here in studio on our first edition of Eyewitness News Mornings at 10. We'll be right back with the mayor.

[Commercial break.]

Marza: Welcome back, everyone. It seems like you are a big part of our every night newscast, anyway, right? So, we see you everywhere: making announcements, going to where the issues are. One of the things I like about your office now is when there's a problem you seem to show up there, right? You're there.

And getting at that, you know, without just being like kudos to everybody for everything they do, just give me an idea of what your schedule is so that people understand...[Laughter.] So people understand if there's any sleep involved in this, right?

Mayor Adams: You know, and I do not recommend my life...[Laughter.] You know, I'm normally up at four. I will meditate. You know, think about mom a lot. And then I would exercise, do my prayers, take a green smoothie. And you know, then read the papers or you know, find out what's going on. And then the day, you know, until probably 1 a.m., 12:30 a.m., I am rocking and rolling. This is a city that never sleeps, so I can't take a nap.

Champion: Yes, I get it. I understand.

Allicot: Sam knows. [Laughter.]

Champion: We know that schedule around here, too, so.

Allicot: Speaking of that green smoothie...

Mayor Adams: Yes.

Allicot: We know about your journey with your health changes that you have made with your diet due to, I think it was Type 2 diabetes?

Mayor Adams: Yes. Yes, yes.

Allicot: And how radically it changed.

Mayor Adams: Without a doubt.

Allicot: Whole life!

Mayor Adams: Everything. Everything.

Allicot: You've been telling that narrative. Talk about the veganism.

Mayor Adams: And it's really plant based.

Allicot: Plant based, not fully hardcore vegan, right?

Mayor Adams: People will tell you all the time, plant based, and you should never deny yourself. You know, it's about, don't… I'm perfectly imperfect. I'm not trying to be perfect, and so if I feel like eating something that I know I'm not supposed to, That's all right. It's what you do the majority of the time.

You know, my vision returned. The ulcer went away, high blood pressure, everything. I dropped, you know, 30‑something pounds.

Champion: Wow.

Mayor Adams: You know, listen...

Allicot: What?

Mayor Adams: I don't have a six‑pack, I have a case. My body's tight.

Allicot: Whoa! [Inaudible.] So last night, I decided to make a vegan dish. I think I might have some pictures of that.

Mayor Adams: Love it!

Allicot: I made [inaudible], completely vegan, you know, I'm Caribbean, so...

Mayor Adams: Love it. Yes, yes, yes.

Allicot: We made chickpea and potato curry with coconut milk and...

Mayor Adams: I like the bread up top, tell me...

Allicot: And [inaudible] of okra.

Champion: That actually looks good. I can see that.

Allicot: I'm trying to introduce plant‑based meals to these children.

Mayor Adams: I am loving it.

Champion: That's little Wes, I think he has a smile on his face.

Marza: You've talked about schools as well, trying to do that.

Mayor Adams: Yes, yes, yes, yes. And you know, the thing is, you know, what was interesting? If we raise, our palates are adjustable to what we do. We over, give the salt, oil, sugar, all of these unhealthy things. If we raise our children to having a good diet, then it will be part of their overall life.

Marza: Well, Jets fans feasting on a lot of action last night. I know you're a Jets fan, I've got to ask you about this game.

Mayor Adams: Yes, yes.

Marza: Aaron Rogers goes down four snaps in. Your first thought?

Mayor Adams: I said, oh, X.

Marza: A lot of people thought, there were fingers crossed. We'll see what the MRI plays out. But then Xavier Gibson wins the whole thing for them at the end. What do you make of when went down...

Mayor Adams: A New York story, you know, I know that sometimes something devastating could happen, but it also can motivate the team. Our team, we have been motivated from the Covid, from crime to asylum seeker crisis. And sometimes it brings together and it gels you for the purpose. So, a dark moment is not necessarily a burial, it could be a planting. And we may see a planting of a real successful season.

Marza: They sure did rally.

Champion: Mayor Adams, thank you.

Mayor Adams: Thank you.

Allicot: Thank you.

Mayor Adams: Good to see you. Good luck on the show.

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