NOTE: VIDEO AT THE END OF ARTICLE
Mayor Adams Blasts Mamdani’s “False Promises,” Warns NYC Could Suffer Under Progressive Plans
Mayor Eric Adams is pulling no punches as he fights to keep his seat at New York City Hall. In a fiery new interview, Adams directly challenged his Democratic rival Zohran Mamdani’s sweeping progressive platform, claiming it could wreak havoc on the very communities it aims to protect.
Speaking with Miranda Devine on the “Pod Force One” podcast, Adams laid out a detailed critique of Mamdani’s key proposals — including free bus service, rent freezes, and city-owned grocery stores — calling them unworkable and potentially harmful.
“The worst thing you can do as New Yorkers are struggling is to make broken promises,” Adams said, drawing on his own upbringing in a working-class household.
Adams, now running as an independent on the “Safe and Affordable” line, argued that Mamdani’s ideas are politically seductive but economically destructive.
Free Bus Service? $3 Billion Price Tag
One of Mamdani’s headline proposals is a fully free MTA bus system — but Adams insists the math doesn’t work. He said the plan’s estimated $3 billion annual cost would require a substantial tax hike on the wealthy, something Mamdani supports in theory but undermines with his anti-billionaire rhetoric.
“He says we should tax the richest 1%, then turns around and says billionaires shouldn’t even live here. So who exactly is going to fund this?” Adams said.
He warned that the gap between Mamdani’s populist message and policy specifics would lead to painful consequences for lower-income neighborhoods already struggling to get by.
Rent Freeze or Repairs Freeze?
Adams also blasted the rent-freeze proposal, saying it could create a chilling effect on building maintenance and overall housing quality.
“If a landlord can’t afford repairs because rent is locked below market, guess who suffers? The tenant,” he said.
The mayor described the policy as well-meaning but shortsighted — another example of what he calls “feel-good politics” that don’t hold up to scrutiny.
City-Owned Grocery Stores?
Mamdani has proposed opening city-owned grocery stores to combat food deserts, but Adams questioned the practicality of turning government into a retail operator.
“The city already struggles to manage basic services. Now we’re going to start running supermarkets?”
He suggested more targeted partnerships with existing community co-ops and nonprofits as an alternative path.
Rikers Island Closure Plan “Dangerous,” Adams Says
Among the most controversial points of disagreement is Mamdani’s plan to close Rikers Island and replace it with smaller, borough-based jails. Adams — a former NYPD captain — argues this would pose a direct threat to public safety.
Rikers currently houses over 7,000 inmates. Mamdani’s alternative facilities would only accommodate around 4,000 — with little explanation for how to handle the rest.
“If he empties out Rikers Island, those dangerous people are going to go back into the communities they terrorized,” Adams warned. “And those are largely Black and brown communities.”
The mayor connected Mamdani’s proposals to New York’s controversial 2019 bail reform laws, claiming they have allowed repeat offenders to re-enter the system with minimal consequences.
“He says he’s protecting these communities. But his policies would do the exact opposite.”
Cuomo & Sliwa Also Get Hit
Adams didn’t reserve his fire solely for Mamdani. He also took aim at former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is staging a comeback run after losing in the Democratic primary.
“He’s running away from his own record,” Adams said, referencing Cuomo’s role in bail reform and the COVID-era nursing home scandal that cost thousands of lives.
As for Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, Adams dismissed him outright: “One has no record. Nothing to discuss.”
Political Crossroads
As the 2025 mayoral election approaches, the clash between Adams and Mamdani represents a deeper debate within the city: progressivism vs. pragmatism, vision vs. execution, ideology vs. experience.
Mamdani’s supporters see him as a bold voice for systemic change. Critics — including the current mayor — see him as dangerously naïve about the city’s economic and public safety realities.
Either way, one thing is clear: the battle for New York City’s future is heating up, and voters will soon decide which direction they want to go.
