Democratic mayoral candidate Eric Adams called on unvaccinated cops and firefighters Saturday to get the jab and get back to work but refused to say if outgoing Mayor de Blasio should pull the plug on the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city workers.
“I would encourage my police, my firefighters — we took an oath,” Adams, a former cop, told reporters after attending a get-out-the vote rally at The Q NYC in Midtown. “And we know that New Yorkers are first.”
With dozens of fire companies temporarily out of service Saturday because of massive short-staffing, Adams called on all unvaccinated city workers to push their respective unions to reach an agreement with City Hall.
However, the retired police captain and current Brooklyn borough president refused to say whether he’d continue the mandate if elected mayor.
“What I don’t want to do is add to the tension already in our city,” said Adams during a WINS-AM radio interview earlier Saturday. “We have one mayor, and it is his responsibility to bring everyone over this finish line. And I am not going to be disruptive to that process before Election Day.”
Democratic mayoral candidate Eric Adams hangs out with guests during a campaign rally at The Q NYC in Midtown.James Keivom
During his appearance at The Q, Adams was joined by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and other high-ranking Democrats while trying to rally LQTBQ New Yorkers to support his candidacy.
“We are going to ensure that our community is going to look at the mental health crisis that’s impacting the LGTBQ community,” he said. “Your story is my story. Our story is the same. It doesn’t matter if you were an African American picking cotton and couldn’t wear the clothing that the cotton was made out of; you’re the same story.”
Democratic mayoral candidate Eric Adams insists it is Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “responsibility” to get New Yorkers vaccinated.James KeivomDemocratic mayoral candidate Eric Adams During rallied for support within the LGBTQ community.James Keivom
A day after fracturing an elbow when he was hit by a cab, Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa was in good spirits Saturday and back on the campaign trail — greeting voters in Manhattan and Queens and visiting with some firefighters and cops.
“I have to tell you I’m like a cat who’s got nine lives,” said the famously feline-loving Sliwa, while sporting a sling on his left arm.
GOP mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa vehemently opposes any COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Curtis Sliwa for NYC/Facebook
Unlike Adams, Sliwa said he’d eliminate the vaccine mandate if elected mayor, adding he plans to rally outside an event on Staten Island Sunday that Gov. Hochul is expected to attend in a bid to get her to overrule de Blasio.
“This mayor . . . wants to crush the life and jeopardize all citizens because of a lack of public safety,” Sliwa said.
The two major candidates vying to be the next mayor of New York City faced off Tuesday for the last time before next week’s election, providing a testier version of the debate a week earlier.
Republican longshot Curtis Sliwa again labeled Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams as Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “teammate” and the Brooklyn borough president scoffed at his opponent’s “clown-like” behavior.
In a heated exchange during the one-hour ABC-7 debate, the salubrious former NYPD captain, apparently frustrated by Sliwa’s many interruptions, snapped, “You want to be the mayor of the City of New York? Start with discipline.”
After brushing off a question about Adams labeling him a “clown,” Sliwa quickly attempted to turn the tables and draw attention to questions about where Adams actually lives and repeated news stories about inaccuracies in his tax returns.
“But talking about faking, you fake where you live, Eric Adams! We still don’t know where you live; you live in Jersey, most people say,” Sliwa chided. “And then you blame a homeless person for your accounting problems with the IRS.”
“This is an example of the clown-like actions,” Adams shot back. “We’re not his circus, New Yorkers.
“He faked a kidnapping, he faked a robbery,” Adams continued, before digging into Sliwa’s own personal history.
Those included charges from Sliwa’s ex, Mary, that he failed to pay child support.
“He hid money so he wouldn’t have to pay child support,” Adams charged.
That war of words came after Sliwa took a question about the controversial policing tactic stop-and-frisk as an opportunity to draw attention to Adams claiming earlier in the day to have spoken to gang members.
Sliwa said Adams is a “teammate,” of Mayor de Blasio.ABC
“It’s amazing that my opponent, Eric Adams, just this morning on ‘The Breakfast Club,’ said that he had met with gang leaders ‘with bodies.’ That means gang leaders who killed and gang leaders who kill awaiting trial. Did you stop, question and frisk them? Do you report that to the police?” Sliwa asked, in reference to his morning radio interview.
“Can you tell us who those gang leaders were, and where you met with them and which gangs? I think the public has a right to know from someone who declares himself to be the law-and-order candidate.”
Adams explained that he spoke to “top gang members” with the aim of persuading them to take a different path in life — and to discover what led them to commit crimes.
“I’m speaking to those who have committed crimes to get them out of gangs,” he said “You could find and learn so much [from] those who commit crimes. … It’s time for us to find out what is causing the violence.”
Later, Sliwa insisted Adams is a close ally of de Blasio — who Sliwa gave a grade of “F” and labeled a “miserable failure.”
Curtis Sliwa gave de Blasio a failing grade for his two terms in office in NY.Eduardo Munoz/Pool Photo via AP
“You’ve been his partner, his teammate,” said the GOP longshot. “You partnered up with him, Eric Adams, for eight years.”
In a lighter moment, when prompted by a debate moderator to “say something nice” about their opponent, Adams lauded Sliwa for being a cat-lover while Sllwa said he admired Adams for becoming a vegan and preaching the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
“I take my hat off to Curtis, what he’s doing with cats,” said Adams, the Brooklyn borough president and clear front runner in the race for mayor. “I think we need to be humane to all living beings and that includes our animals.”
“His promotion of the vegan way of life to avoid serious medical issues has probably already helped dozens, maybe hundreds, maybe thousands of people,” Sliwa said. “I applaud you for that because I have seen the results of people who end up dying, suffering and in pain because they got caught with all kinds of problems — diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension.”
Following the lively, often personal match up, Adams’ campaign spokesman Evan Thies said in a tweet: “Short summary of the debate: that was man with a plan versus desperate with no details.”
Curtis Sliwa and Eric Adams made their final cases as Election Day nears.Eduardo Munoz/Pool Photo via AP
Sliwa’s campaign rep said Adams would serve as “de Blasio 2.0” as mayor.
“Tonight, we saw why Sliwa’s opponent, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, is known as de Blasio 2.0.,” spokeswoman Maria Sliwa said in a statement. “Eric Adams will continue the legacy of Bill de Blasio, which will forever be remembered for rising crime and declining quality of life, as well as complete disregard for the homelessness and mental health crises affecting our great city,”
Early voting in the race to lead City Hall runs through Oct. 31. Find your voting location on the Board of Elections website at vote.nyc.
The final mayoral debate between Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and his main rival, conservative activist Curtis Sliwa, went straight into the gutter Tuesday night after a series of contentious exchanges turned sharply personal between the two men.
The nastiness broke out about one quarter of the way through the hour-long forum — which aired on WABC/Ch. 7 and Univision-41 — after Sliwa, the Republican nominee, repeatedly interrupted Adams’ answers on questions about crime and schools.
“You want to be the mayor of the City of New York? Start with discipline,” a frustrated Adams fired back at one point.
So the stage was set when one of the moderators — ABC-7’s Dave Evans — asked Sliwa what he made of Adams repeatedly mocking him as a “clown” and why voters should trust him with running the city considering his past admissions that he faked reports of a kidnapping and robbery to gain headlines for his neighborhood patrol group, the Guardian Angels.
“He calls me a clown, I guess I’m Pagliacci,” Sliwa began, referencing the classic opera.
“Did I make mistakes early on? Yes, and I’ve apologized,” the ex-talk show host continued, before quickly pivoting right back to Adams — and a slew of press reports that have raised questions about the Democratic nominee’s residence and exposed inaccuracies in his tax returns.
Sliwa accused Adams of living in New Jersey instead of Brooklyn.REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
“But talking about faking, you fake where you live Eric Adams! We still don’t know where you live; you live in Jersey, most people people say,” he added. “And then you blame a homeless person for your accounting problems with the IRS.”
“I hope you don’t appoint him, if you get elected, the budget director for the City of New York,” the GOP nominee continued. “I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t just take responsibility. Man up, Eric!”
Adams fired right back.
“This is an example of the clown-like actions,” the BP responded, using a line he’s tried out as the race has entered its closing days. “We’re not his circus, New Yorkers.”
Adams brought up claims that Sliwa didn’t pay child support from the Republican candidate’s ex-wife.Eduardo Munoz/Pool Photo via AP
“He faked a kidnapping, he faked a robbery,” Adams continued, before digging into Sliwa’s own history of personal legal troubles — including charges from Sliwa’s ex, Mary, that he failed to pay child support.
“He hid money so he wouldn’t have to pay child support,” Adams concluded.
That appeared to set off Sliwa, who shot back: “How dare you bring my family into this! I haven’t at all brought your family into your problems.”
