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NYC mayor Eric Adams cries racism, blames WHITE journalists for targeting him

Mayor rants against the media during a press conference threatens to stop fielding off-topic questions and slams lack of racial diversity

New York City Mayor Eric Adams went on a rather surprising rant on February 15, 2022. The embattled Mayor took a dig at media during a press conference and said, "my story is being interpreted by people that don’t look like me." His viral rant hasn't done much for his stock, with many pundits comparing him to the infamously thin-skinned Bill de Blasio. 

Only the second Mayor of color in New York's history, Adams is facing a massive challenge to take back control of the city. Not only is New York facing a massive crime wave, but NYPD officers are also leaving in droves over the city's vaccine mandate, and lack of action after several cops have been injured on killed in the line of duty. Right now, crime seems to be the number one concern for Adams, but by the looks of his outburst, he has other things on his mind.

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Adams' rant was reportedly sparked by the media coverage of his failed effort to get state lawmakers to budge on his anti-crime agenda. The Mayor met with lawmakers at Albany, but it proved to be of little avail as they refused to pass his plans to use "dangerousness" when determining bail. 

'What’s the diversification in the newsrooms?'

On February 15, Adams was scheduled to speak to the press about summer youth employment efforts but chose to rant about something else entirely. "If you want to acknowledge or not, I have been doing a darn good job and we just can’t live in this alternate reality," he said, adding, "I’m just going to come in and do my announcements and bounce," if coverage of him doesn't improve. 

He then factored race into the issue, complaining, "I’m a black man that’s the mayor but my story is being interpreted by people that don’t look like me. How many blacks are on editorial boards? How many blacks determine how these stories are being written?” he said. Adams added, "How many Asians? How many East Asians? How many South Asians? Everyone talks about my government being diversified, what’s the diversification in the newsrooms?"

It didn't stop there. He told those present to "Diversify your newsrooms so I can look out and see people who look like me." Adams went on to ask "do you guys already write the stories before I do something and just print out what you’ve already written?” He then concluded with, "I’m going to stop doing off-topics because if you already have your perception of me – and you are already going to stick to what you think I am — then why am I doing this?"

'Talk of race will not help him'

"Eric Adam’s mayoralty will rest entirely on crime control... And talk of race will not help him," noted political consultant Hank Sheinkopf to The New York Post. Bill Neidhardt, who was former Mayor de Blasio's press secretary also weighed in, and said, "If this is what gets him upset, wait until it’s six times larger and smacked on the front of both tabs and he’ll start to understand. Not every story can be about your smoothies." Another source said Adams appears to be "taking a page out of Bill de Blasio’s playbook," and noted, "It didn’t work for him (de Blasio). 

Adams challenger in the election, Curtis Silwa tweeted, " warned you that #EricAdams plays the race card whenever he is questioned. The white media & editorial boards who gave him a coronation are now suddenly racist. YOU created this Frankenstein, now WE have to deal with him!" One journalist joked, "He could have waited a bit longer to play the race card." One user said, "We’re not even 7 weeks into Eric Adams NYC Mayor administration & he’s playing the ‘race card’." Another person slammed, "@NYCMayor FFS stop playing the race card. Reporting has nothing to do with race. Your predecessor (and now you) created this mess. Fix it and quit whining."