Mayor Eric Adams sang President Biden’s praises on Monday, referring to him as “my dude” and joking that he’s commander-in-chief’s favorite mayor.
Adams expressed excitement during an unrelated press conference about his scheduled meeting with Biden on Thursday to speak about strategies to combat gun violence in the wake of the ambush killing of two NYPD officers.
“This is a great city, and I’m the Biden of Brooklyn. And I love the fact that the president is coming here. I met with him after the campaign, and we spoke and we just connected, you know,” said Adams.
“And I’m sure if you were to ask him, ‘What is his favorite mayor?’ he’d clearly tell you, ‘It’s Eric,” he told reporters with a smile.
“We just really like each other. … You know, we just got to hang out together, you know. That’s my dude,” Adams said with a laugh.
Asked why he labeled himself the “Biden of Brooklyn,” the retired NYPD captain said he and the president are both ”blue-collar guys” who are down to earth.
“Because you know, we just like these blue-collar guys. You know, he is comfortable around everyday people. And you could just tell that when you’re in his presence, he’s just, you know, he’s ordinary Joe,” Adams explained. “He knows the people, but the people know him.”
Adams concluded his presidential praise with a signature one-liner.
“He’s a guy that can bear the weight of the city, but that you don’t mind having a beer with,” he quipped.
Adams and Biden, both Democratic moderates, have a base of working-class non-white voters.
Monday’s press conference was not the first time Adams has compared himself to the president.
“They call me the Biden of Brooklyn, because you can just tell when someone is not trying to rush you through the meeting and engaging,” Adams said in July, when he visited the White House following his mayoral Democratic primary victory. “He is a plain-talked person and it is just a pleasure having him as president.”
Adams’ most recent praise comes after the White House announced the two will meet Thursday to discuss “the Administration’s comprehensive strategy to combat gun crime, which includes historic levels of funding for cities and states to put more cops on the beat and invest in community violence prevention and intervention programs, as well as stepped-up federal law enforcement efforts against illegal gun traffickers.”
Since Adams was sworn in as mayor on Jan. 1, five NYPD officers have been shot in the line of duty. The latest cop shooting came on Jan 21, when rookie Officer Jason Rivera, 22, and his police partner, Wilbert Mora, 27 were gunned down during a domestic call in Harlem.
In response, the new mayor last week unveiled plans to crack down on illegal guns and violent crime more broadly.