New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) said he would attend the inauguration of Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani (D) despite a disparaging campaign season.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is set to swear in Mamdani, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is also set to introduce the newly elected mayor.
“We communicated this afternoon, and he made it clear that he would like for me to attend, and I would like to be there to show the smooth, peaceful transition of power. We both know how important that is…I just wanted to make sure that, as I said to him, ‘I don’t want to do anything to disrupt this important moment in history,’” Adams said on the “Cats Roundtable” radio show hosted by John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AM.
The New York mayor said Zohran replied by stating, “Eric … It would be good to see you there.”
Adams’s reputation was fractured earlier this year as he faced federal corruption charges, which the Trump administration abruptly dropped.
Mamdani frequently reminded the incumbent mayor of his alleged criminal woes on the campaign trail, which affected Adams’s polling numbers.
The two clashed again this month when both men shared an appointment to lead the Fire Department of New York. Mamdani (D) received criticism for selecting a non-firefighter to lead the city’s fire department, while Adams hired a fire commissioner.
Adams’s pick will only lead until Jan. 1 when Mamdani takes office.
“The mayor is free to continue to be the mayor until the end of this year and make decisions as such,” Mamdani said when asked for comment about the dueling appointment.
