NYC Mayor Adams says ‘Biden is my guy’ after surrogate squad snub

Mayor Adams said President Biden is “my guy” and that their relationship is a “good one” on Thursday — comments that came after the New York leader was excluded from the president’s finalized squad of reelection campaign surrogates.

“I like him,” Adams said at a City Hall press conference. “And I think he likes me.”

Biden’s campaign revealed Wednesday that the moderate New York City mayor had been left off its national advisory board. Two New York politicians landed on the 50-member panel: Gov. Hochul and Rep. Grace Meng of Queens.

Adams, who has delivered biting criticism of Biden’s handling of immigration, had been expected to be a part of the board. His absence led some to wonder whether Biden was punishing him over his consistent critiques of federal immigration policy.

Biden’s campaign said in a Thursday statement that the president “counts Mayor Adams as a friend and partner” and “looks forward to working with the mayor on issues impacting New Yorkers and to win the presidency again in 2024.”

A campaign spokesman, Kevin Munoz, did not address why Adams was not included on the advisory board.

Members of the team will appear in frequent interviews, attend campaign events and join fundraisers, according to the Democratic National Committee.

At City Hall, Adams noted that he was not the only politician who was said to be on the surrogate squad in March but did not appear on the finalized roster this week.

“I don’t know what their plans are, but let’s be clear: Biden is my guy,” the mayor told reporters.

In April, Adams said Biden had “failed New York City” on immigration.

For a year, the city has been strained by waves of migration unleashed by political upheaval in Central and South America. The Adams administration, which has struggled to handle the influx, has cared for more than 65,000 migrants, according to the city.

The mayor has pushed the federal government to provide the city with emergency funding and to process asylum seekers’ work papers more quickly.

Adams said Thursday that he would continue to “speak on behalf of this city.”

“You don’t want a friend that’s going to agree with you just to agree,” Adams said of his relationship with Biden. “You want a friend that is going to be honest and candid.”

Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic political consultant, said he thought Adams’ exclusion came in response to his rhetoric on immigration.

“Is this a snub by the Adams-Harris team? The answer is yes,” Sheinkopf said. “But the position Adams has taken is a smart one.”

Still, Basil Smikle, a former strategist for Hillary Clinton, said he thought it was unfortunate that the mayor was left off the list, citing Adams’ status as an African-American mayor who governs in a similar style to Biden.

“It’s very disappointing,” Smikle said of the campaign’s decision.