NYC Mayor Eric Adams goes to DNC without speaking spot in snub: ‘This is a slap in the face’
Eric Adams will be heading to the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago despite not being offered a coveted speaker spot — a snub for the Dem mayor of the nation’s largest city, political insiders said.
The Windy City cold shoulder awaiting Adams — who will visit the DNC Wednesday and Thursday — is Democratic pooh-bahs’ revenge for the mayor bucking President Biden on the migrant crisis, as well as potential concern over a federal corruption probe swirling around City Hall, sources said.
“This is a snub. This is a slap in the face,” said Hank Sheinkopf, a Dem political consultant who worked on Bill Clinton’s re-election campaign.
“This is punishment for Adams criticizing the administration on the migrant crisis. It’s not just bad for him. It’s bad planning by the party.”
A source close to Adams was baffled that New York City’s black mayor has been effectively shut out as the Dems anoint Vice President Kamala Harris as their candidate.
“This is a black woman who could become the president of the United States,” the source said. “This is big, this is an Obama moment and the mayor can’t even get face time.
“Someone is trying to f–k him,” the source added. “Someone doesn’t want another four years of Adams.”
Other insiders also told The Post that Adams — who once declared himself the “Biden of Brooklyn” before the president excluded him from his campaign — is clearly persona non grata among Democrats.
Two prominent black mayors — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, whose city bested the Big Apple and Atlanta in a contest to host the DNC, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — landed speaker roles.
Even New York’s unpopular Gov. Kathy Hochul was given a speaking role, on Monday night, as was controversial progressive Bronx and Queens Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“Socialist AOC and Gov. Hochul got speaking slots. Not the spokesman for urban America,” Sheinkopf said.
Past New York City mayors have been given prominent speaking roles in past Democratic conventions, such as Bill de Blasio in 2016.
Michael Bloomberg had a prime speaking spot in 2020’s convention, after the billionaire switched from the Republican Party — which was his affiliation as mayor — to the Dems and spent millions to defeat Donald Trump.
One political source told The Post that Dems were “torturing” Adams over the past few weeks as they compiled a DNC speakers list.
“Biden had a say over the speakers list and (Harris is) not a fan either,” the source said.
“They punished him for throwing the stink bomb back in their lap — the migrant crisis — and then the subpoenas.”
Adams’ team was also conspicuous in its absence, especially as Hochul and city Comptroller Brad Lander — who is eyeing a run for mayor — have been bouncing around the convention, along with other New York pols, sources said.
Al Sharpton, an Adams ally who is at the convention, declined comment on the apparent snub against the mayor.
He did hint that some speakers have yet to be announced, raising the potential that Adams could be hastily penciled in as a speaker in a face-saving gesture.
Adams is scheduled to appear Wednesday at a big city mayors panel hosted by Politico and CNN Wednesday. He will also speak at a caucus breakfast Thursday, according to his schedule.
Hizzoner publicly tried to downplay the apparent snub during a Tuesday news conference, calling himself a “soldier” for Harris’ election who is “not on an ego trip.”
“This is the greatest city on the globe, that is the role,” he told reporters from City Hall. “I am going to the DNC tomorrow and will get my assignment.”
He said he had not asked for a speaking role on the convention floor.
“Trust me, there’s some sharp elbows, a lot of people would like to be up on that stage,” he said. “I don’t want to add to that complication.”
Adams’ chief advisor Ingrid Lewis-Martin chimed in: “There’s no snubbing of the mayor. He’s well regarded by the party.”
A source close to Adams said that “despite the administration’s mistakes on migrants — which he warned them would hurt the party with working class voters — the mayor sees the Harris candidacy as a reset.”
Adams “has had friendly conversations with the campaign about building support after the election. He expects to play a prominent role in getting her elected going forward,” the source said.
A reporter at Tuesday’s press conference asked Adams what role he has in Harris’ campaign — prompting City Hall’s chief legal Counsel Lisa Zornberg to try to cut off future questions on the topic.
She argued City Hall’s Blue Room is not a proper place to ask political queries, despite it being the only time and place where Adams once-a-week answers what his team dubs “off-topic” questions.
“It is my view, advised by the (Conflicts of Interest Board) that should not be the type of question that’s asked in the Blue Room in City Hall at a press conference to talk about city issues,” she said to outrage from reporters.
