Mayor Swagger has taken a mysterious route.
Eric Adams’ strange absence from campaign activities has entered its fifth day as of Wednesday, intensifying speculation that he may be quiet quitting or gearing up to abandon his seemingly troubled re-election campaign.
The lack of communication from the struggling incumbent extended to his minimal campaign team and pivotal supporters, who appeared unsure about Adams’ intentions, as the mayor kept his plans closely guarded.
When a Post reporter inquired about the mayor’s lack of schedule, one Adams campaign staffer responded with nothing but a smiley face emoji.
Despite stepping back from campaign-related activities, Adams managed to meet with Bart De Wever, the Belgian prime minister, on Wednesday, fulfilling his mayoral duties in the nation’s biggest city.
“He’s currently leading in an internal poll in Brussels for the four-way (mayoral) race,” a source familiar with the campaign joked.
“He’s indifferent about it at this point. This f–king campaign has spiraled out of control.”
While Adams has reiterated his commitment to continue campaigning, his recent hands-off approach might suggest an unfavorable outlook with less than a month remaining before the November election.
Current polls indicate Adams, a Democrat running as an independent, is embarrassingly placed fourth, trailing behind leading Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
High-profile figures concerned about the prospect of a socialist mayor, from President Trump to prominent business executives, have urged candidates—including Adams and Sliwa—to withdraw, aiming for a more viable two-person race against Mamdani.
“I’ve heard it’s only a matter of time; donors are becoming frustrated with him and Cuomo for not exiting the race more gracefully,” a Democratic insider commented.
“He’s following his own path, it seems,” remarked another Democratic source.
The mayor’s limited campaign appearances have coincided with his supporters seemingly resigning from efforts to garner backing.
This month, only one $4,000 contribution was made to a super PAC backing Adams.
“I’m on another call now, but if you could check back later, possibly toward the end of the day,” said the sole donor, passing on the chance to support Adams.
The pro-Adams PAC Empower NYC last released a video ad and text message campaign on Sept. 9, as documented in campaign finance records.
In stark contrast, PACs backing Cuomo and Mamdani have collectively put out 23 advertisements or text outreach efforts since the last contact from the pro-Adams group.
Nonetheless, Adams has not completely withdrawn from his mayoral responsibilities and nightlife engagements.
Instead of engaging with voters on Tuesday, Adams reportedly enjoyed dinner at the renowned Rao’s restaurant with “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary, as reflected in a Tuesday Instagram post.
He was also seen mingling with an Albanian television host amid the United Nations General Assembly, as indicated by another Instagram post.
His flashy, Star of David-adorned robe during a Rosh Hashanah event in Brooklyn drew both attention and ridicule.
“Dude looks like Gandalf the Goy,” quipped one social media user.
“How do ya do, fellow Jews?” a Reddit user humorously referenced a popular meme to mock the mayor’s attempts to connect with a community.
When approached about Adams’ absence from campaign events, spokesperson Todd Shapiro remarked, “The mayor is occupied with official duties and focused on United Nations Week.”
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