New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Monday that he was unsure whether he would attend Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s January inauguration, saying some of the latter’s supporters “protest everything.”
Adams has taken on a more conciliatory tone toward Mamdani after positioning himself as one of his foremost rivals during the mayoral campaign. When asked about his plans to attend Mamdani’s inauguration, Adams said he was open to it but would speak to his successor first, as he doesn’t want to “disrupt his day.”
“That’s a very important, historical day, and it’s unfortunate that there’s a body of some of his supporters, some of them, who rather protest everything,” Adams said.
“If he’s cool, I’m cool,” he added.
Mamdani voiced his approval for Adams to attend, saying the outgoing mayor is “still welcome to my inauguration.”
Mamdani will be sworn in as mayor shortly after New Year’s Eve celebrations at midnight on Jan. 1, 2026. He will be sworn in by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both of whom the socialist has described as inspirations.
The ceremony is expected to see between 40,000 and 50,000 attendees, the New York Post reported.
Adams has spent his final months in office globetrotting and shoring up his legacy, touting his accomplishments during a stormy tenure as mayor darkened by corruption charges in late 2024.
NYC MAYOR-ELECT MAMDANI TO BE SWORN IN BY BERNIE SANDERS AND LETITIA JAMES
As for what awaits Adams after he steps down, Adams said he wants to travel, write a book, go “back to school,” and work on cryptocurrency-related projects.
“A combination of back to school, doing my book, using technology like cryptocurrency to improve the lives of our children, and go after hate in a real way, specifically antisemitism,” he said on Monday, declining to elaborate further.