Top White House officials are in talks over a potential job for Eric Adams in President Trump’s administration — as pressure mounts for mayoral candidates to drop out and clear the lane for the strongest challenger against socialist Zohran Mamdani, The Post has learned.
The conversations about a potential plum gig for Adams have been taking place among high-level Trump officials, but it’s unclear if they have reached the president’s desk, sources said.
“I think Adams would be able to craft a position and a portfolio that’s to his liking,” a source close to Trump’s administration said.
“I’ve heard the Adams team wants it,” another source close to the White House said.
A source in the mayor’s orbit confirmed his team has pushed him to take the federal golden parachute — but Adams seemingly hasn’t fully bought in.
“I have a job. I’m running for re-election, I’m still doing that and I’m looking forward to getting re-elected,” Adams told reporters when asked about the discussions during an unrelated press conference Wednesday.
The backroom talks come as the scandal-scarred Adams’ independent re-election bid not only appears doomed, but is also likely to ease Mamdani’s path to victory amid a crowded field of four mayoral contenders.
Mamdani became the front-runner after he surprisingly trounced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary.
Cuomo didn’t listen to voters’ rejection and also mounted an independent run.
The constellation of candidates has only helped solidify Mamdani’s lead in the race, with polls showing he only really faces a fight in a one-on-one contest against Cuomo.
Trump surrogates and officials for months have been trying to get weaker candidates such as independent Jim Walden and GOP mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa to drop out, sources said. Walden suspended his beyond-longshot bid Tuesday.
Adams had avoided running as a Democrat after Trump Department of Justice officials controversially dropped the federal corruption case against him.
He mounted an independent bid after he and big donors unsuccessfully pushed to get Sliwa a Trump administration job — a move that would’ve helped Adams sew up the Republican Party line in the general election, sources have said.
Sliwa had indeed refused a job offer from the administration, one source said.
“Now, they are seeing if Adams would be interested in working for the administration,” the source said. “Adams is in a unique position in the sense of he does share a lot of the administration’s goals especially on crime and immigration, so he could likely make a real impact whether at home or abroad.”
The prospect of an ambassadorship is seen as the most enticing for Adams, given his longstanding plan to do international consulting work after his mayoralty, another source said.
“He can have any ambassadorship he wants,” a source close to Adams boasted.
White House officials didn’t respond to requests for comment.
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“Mayor Adams has made it clear he will not respond to every rumor that comes up. He will remain focus , not be distracted and Grind for New Yorkers,” Adams campaign spokesman Todd Shapiro said in a statement.
Adams hasn’t hadn’t any discussions with Trump, nor has he met with the president regarding the mayoral race, Shapiro said.
“The Mayor is fully committed to winning this election, with millions of New Yorkers preparing to cast their votes. His record is clear: crime is down, jobs are up, and he has consistently stood up for working families. Mayor Adams is focused on building on that progress and earning four more years to continue delivering for the people of New York.”
Adams and his campaign officials have scheduled a meeting for Wednesday afternoon to discuss how to move forward with his longshot re-election bid, if at all, insiders said.
The mayor has vehemently insisted he’s in the race for the long haul, but seemed to soften his tune after a trip to Florida on Tuesday, the day after his birthday.
When Adams was asked by a Fox5 reporter Wednesday morning about rumors he could be dropping out of the race, he gave a less-than-adamant denial.
“Whenever I make a move, I’ll make an announcement. I’m in this race to win and if anything changes, trust me, I’ll be on Channel 5,” he said.
— Additional reporting by Hannah Fierick, Carl Campanile and Matthew Fischetti
