Subtlety isn’t Eric Adams’ strong suit. That seemed clear Thursday in the supporters he chose to surround him as he gave his first public remarks after federal charges against him were unsealed earlier in the day.
Adams, who has denied any wrongdoing, released a Trumpian video on Wednesday, in which he seemed to baselessly suggest the federal government was targeting him because he had criticized the Biden administration. On Thursday, he was flanked by a group that consisted almost entirely of Black folks. The scene had big “O.J. visits a Black church for support” energy. But some folks in attendance weren’t having it.
“This is not a Black thing, this is a you thing! It’s not a Black thing, it’s a justice thing!” one heckler yelled, halting Adams’ spiel. “Your policies are anti-Black. You are a disgrace to all Black people!”
Adams has faced staunch criticism for overseeing a rise in illegal police stops, which have disproportionately targeted Black and brown men. And activist Olayemi Olurin channeled a lot of the Black fury toward Adams earlier this year when she grilled him on policies he’s endorsed around incarceration and homelessness that criminalize poor Black people.
Needless to say, Adams’ public defense is off to a rocky start.