MSNBC’s Capehart Asks Mayor Eric Adams If Vow to Cooperate With ICE is About ‘Seeking a Pardon’ From Trump
MSNBC anchor Jonathan Capehart asked New York Mayor Eric Adams if his pledge about cooperating with ICE and other federal immigration enforcement is because he is hoping to get a pardon from Donald Trump.
Recently, Adams has vowed to cooperate with federal immigration law and agencies, to include Trump’s incoming administration officials, in removing “dangerous” undocumented people from the city.
That pledge has prompted some critics to accuse the mayor of working with immigration enforcement is simply a way of wrangling a pardon for himself over charges of bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations.
During a Sunday interview with Capehart, the MSNBC host asked Adams if intends on “seeking a pardon” from Trump’s White House — a charge Adams firmly denied.
“I am not communicating with the president about a pardon,” Adams said. “I’m communicating with bringing resources to the city and doing what I have done for the last three years, and that is moving this city forward.”
CAPEHART: Well, you say this is not about me, but there are quite a few people who think otherwise. I want to get your reaction to this quote from Councilman Lincoln Wrestler. On your consideration of reopening an Ice office on Rikers. And I’m quoting here, The last thing New York City needs is ice and schools, shelters and jails advancing their mass deportation schemes, he said. It’s clear Mayor Adams is more interested in securing a pardon from the incoming Trump administration than protecting immigrant New Yorkers and upholding our sanctuary city laws. That’s a very strong allegation against you, Mayor Adams. Your reaction to that? And are you seeking a pardon from President elect Trump or trying to.
ADAMS: Well, there, John, there’s a group of people that spent their entire career from the day I was elected. They have been attacking the administrations and really standing in the way of what we wanted to do around addressing those who are dealing with severe mental health issues, our housing initiative. And he’s one of them. He represents 76,000 people in his district, and he has an opinion.
But his opinion has often got in the way of moving this city forward. And you just really have to ignore those who are just hurling out negative comments all the time. This is a complicated city of over 8.3 million people, and that is my responsibility.
I am not communicating with the president about a pardon. I’m communicating with bringing resources to the city and doing what I have done for the last three years, and that is moving this city forward. We have been extremely successful helping working class people in this city, everything from our tax of personal income tax. We move those who make make $150,000 or less on the federal poverty line.
You know, we have been we have broke records on housing over and over again. So I’m dealing with the people of this city, and there’s always going to be critics.
Watch the clip above via MSNBC.
