Have you been listening to the Hell Gate Podcast? You can catch last week's episode here.
Eric Adams is on his way out. In just over two weeks, the lifelong New Yorker and single-term mayor will box up his things and leave Gracie Mansion for what is presumably (although honestly, never say never!) the last time.
In the aftermath of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's November victory, Adams was conspicuously absent from the city—suddenly, he had better things to do in Uzbekistan and Israel. But around Thanksgiving, the mayor came back stateside with a lot to say about his four years in office, and no shortage of radio shows and cable news spots willing to host him as he attempts to have the final word on his own legacy.
Adams has always been a man who loves his catchphrases, and scanning the transcripts of his most recent interviews—from December 11 to December 15, the mayor appeared on NY1, NBC4, 77 WABC, WBLS 107.5 FM, and CNBC—his grasp on those remains as tight as ever. When asked about his future plans on "News 4 NY at 4:30" on December 12, the mayor said he would be "smiling more than ever," and on "Hear From the Mayor" two days later, he reassured New Yorkers that "when you see me out there and I got the smile on my face, I'm just simply saying to you, I'm good." (Ever the romantic, he also encouraged "Hear From the Mayor" callers to "be home with their boos, drinking some hot chocolate under the blanket, and enjoying life," because "on a snowy day, this is when babies are made.")