New York City Mayor Eric Adams is scheduled to meet with President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, just three days before the latter is set to take office.
A spokesperson for Adams said in a statement Thursday evening that the mayor "has made quite clear his willingness to work with President-elect Trump and his incoming administration on behalf of New Yorkers — and that partnership with the federal government is critical to New York City's success."
While it was not immediately clear what specifically the two would talk about during the sit-down, the statement said they would "discuss New Yorkers' priorities.
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"The mayor looks forward to having a productive conversation with the incoming president on how we can move our city and country forward," the statement read.
The meeting will take place in Florida, though it wasn't immediately clear if that meant it would be at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.
Adams left New York City for Florida on Thursday, according to his public schedule. On the mayor's public schedule for Friday, it stated he would meet with Trump before traveling back from Palm Beach.
It isn't unusual to see such fence-mending or unity-seeking meetings during presidential transitions, but Adams' outreach to Trump has been scrutinized by critics who see it as an act of self-preservation.
Word of the meeting comes a month after Trump said during a wide-ranging press conference that he would "look at" giving the embattled Adams a pardon.
“Yeah I would,” consider pardoning Adams, Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Dec. 16, before saying that he was not familiar with the specifics of the charges Adams is facing.
Adams, a Democrat, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he accepted lavish travel benefits and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals in exchange for political favors that included pushing through the opening of a Turkish consulate building. His trial is set to start in April.
He has vowed to continue serving as mayor while fighting the charges “with every ounce of my strength and my spirit.” Adams has suggested — without providing evidence — that the charges are politically motivated.
As president, Trump could potentially pressure the Justice Department to drop the charges. Adams, who has pleaded not guilty, has indicated that he is open to accepting a pardon.
Even before the election, Adams began voicing a desire to work with Trump, arguing that the federal government and the city have to work together even if there are differing political views.
Trump has also expressed warmth for Adams. After the mayor was indicted, Trump said he suspected the charges were brought because Adams had criticized President Joe Biden's immigration policies.
Trump himself was convicted last year in state court in New York of falsifying records at his business, though a judge declined to impose any punishment at sentencing, citing constitutional hurdles.
Some of Adams' likely opponents in this year's mayoral Democratic primary criticized the upcoming meeting.
“Pardon me? The Trump agenda is not going to help move our city or the country forward. This pilgrimage is clearly about something else," State Sen. Zellnor Myrie said on X.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, another candidate for mayor, said Adams should “state immediately that he will not seek or accept a pardon from Donald Trump.”
“New Yorkers deserve to know that their Mayor is putting their interests ahead of his own — and whether our tax dollars, or Turkish Airlines, will be financing his trip to Florida,” Lander wrote on X.
Adams and Trump are partially aligned, politically, on some immigration matters. Adams has said he is in favor of doing more to deport immigrants accused of crimes.
In December, Adams met with Trump’s incoming “Border Czar” Tom Homan. Adams has long been critical of New York City ordinances that limit cooperation between city law enforcement officials and federal immigration enforcement agencies.
