Mayor Eric Adams has been called a number of things in his nearly two and a half years on the job. Corrupt, man of the people, playboy, native New Yorker, and the self-labeled "Night Life Mayor". His constituents harbor "like-hate" feelings for Adams. It's not the same as love-hate, but it's better than his predecessor. Everyone hated De Blasio.
Adams can chalk one on the positive side of the ledger after last night's raid on the illegal occupants at Columbia University. The NYPD's Emergency Services Unit was swift, effective, and thorough. It was a nice moment, but New Yorkers want that same energy focused daily on removing the mentally ill from subways, cracking down on violent crime, shoplifters, and yes, even fare-jumpers. New York wants its Giuliani-Bloomberg quality of life back.
In measured remarks after the raid, Adams correctly pointed out that darker forces than college kids were at work on our campuses.
"We're going to protect our city from those who are attempting to do what is happening globally. There's a movement to radicalize young people...This is a global problem that young people are being influenced by those who are professionals at radicalizing our children. And I'm not going to allow that to happen...At the request of Columbia University...and their acknowledgement that outside agitators were on their grounds and training and really coopting this movement...we went in and conducted an operation..."
--Mayor Eric Adams
So which Adams will prevail? Is he a dapper social striver with questionable underworld connections, or a tough street kid from Queens who became top cop? Does he want justice for all New Yorkers, or just, to use his word, the "chocolate" ones? The Manhattan took a look at that question three months ago, but the political ground in the city is ever shifting.
We were reminded on Tuesday night that despite years of low morale and attempts to shrink the NYPD, when they are called upon to perform, they deliver. Perhaps most encouraging was Adams' rhetoric. It's refreshing to hear a major political figure recognize the truth. These protests have little to do with Israel vs. Iran/Hamas, and much to do with radicalizing and using young Americans to achieve the work of globalists like George Soros. Soros, of course, is also Jewish. Which makes one wonder why he hasn't been more of a security concern for Israeli leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu for the past several decades.
It remains to be seen how the students will be treated, but how about the domestic terrorists who led them on? Online pundits haven't hesitated to compare scenes from the Hamilton Hall takeover and conflate them with January 6. While the comparison is tempting, Columbia and City College aren't federal buildings (though they receive federal funding).
Today, Adams backed up his claims about terrorist involvement, claiming that among those arrested on the two campuses, several terrorist affiliations were discovered.
Adams also made patriotic comments about the American flag being replaced with a Palestinian flag on a Columbia building, stating that he finds the idea despicable. "So blame me for being proud to be an American...We are not surrendering our way of life to anyone."
Critics were quick to point out that Adams has been spotted waving an Israeli flag. Good eye, but a little common sense goes a long way. The photo is from a parade. That's what mayors do. It's a big chunk of the job. On St. Patrick's, the Puerto Rican Day parade, Greek Independence Day, and on and on it goes.
