Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live on MSNBC's "Deadline: White House"

May 1, 2024

Nicole Wallace: Turning to our coverage, New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Amtonia Hylton is with us as well. Mr. Mayor, I know a lot of your focus now is on managing the city in a moment of crisis of these protests. I want to ask you about the original challenge, though, for the city and Columbia, and that is making Jewish students feel safe on Columbia University and in New York City. Can you tell us what that looks like?

Mayor Eric Adams: We have one of the best police departments on the globe, if not the best, and dealing with a multitude of different moments is something that we are trained to do. When you look at the actions that we have taken to address this issue, we're seeing an increase in hate crimes, graffiti and terminologies, but the assault on Jewish students is something that is just not happening. When it does, and if it does, we're going to make the proper investigation and apprehensions and arrests.

Wallace: Mr. Mayor, the tricky piece seems to be, and I had a table full of Jewish students at much fancier schools than I went to around this table, and there's a lot that happens on campuses before a crime is committed, and I wonder if there's a plan for dealing with the culture around the hate speech and the blame being placed on Jewish Americans and Jewish college kids in New York City.

Mayor Adams: Yes, and I think it's important that you raise that when you're stating on college campuses. We are doing our job in the public school system. We are also committed to doing and assisting on the college campuses as well. But the primary obligations of making sure those environments are right are the institutions. 

We have something in the city that we've been doing for several years, even during my time as borough president, Breaking Bread, Building Bonds, and it's 1,000 dinners we did last year where we brought New Yorkers of different walks of life together to sit down and communicate to prevent these types of situations. But it's all hands on deck. This is not just a Police Department obligation. All of our institutions, all of our families, all New Yorkers should be clear there's no place for hate in our city.

Wallace: There's a lot of it. I think people on all sides feel like there's a lot of it. I want to ask you as a former police officer, wearing both hats, what is this point? Are we at a breaking point? Are we managing something that's difficult but not unprecedented? What is the accurate and fair and balanced way to cover this moment?

Mayor Adams: All the mayors prior to me that I communicated with, read their books, sat down, and was mentored by like David Dinkins, they tell you, be clear, that a city of this complex and this level of diversity, there's always going to be things that are going to take place in this city. Just be prepared for it. Don't wake up in the morning and hope that nothing is going to happen. Ask for the strength to endure and to manage it. 

That's what we have been doing from COVID to asylum seekers to what happened on October 7th by the awful actions of Hamas. This is what we will continue to do of the city's resilience and this is a moment that we're going to handle like we handle every other crisis that we're faced with.

Wallace: Do you think that the coverage of the protests is overblown? Do you think it's accurate? Do you think it's helpful? What is your assessment of it?

Mayor Adams: No, I think the press has its job and one of the first things I learned in public life, if it leads, it bleeds. If it bleeds, it leads. I'm sure you heard that saying as well. We have to do our job and that's what the Police Department has done. When we were called into Columbia University two times, we eradicated the problem, taking back Hamilton [Hall]. When we were called at NYU, we did the same. We're going to continue to show up and respond and show the level of precision and professionalism that's expected from the greatest police department on this globe.

Wallace: My friend and colleague, who's one of the most gifted journalists in this company, has been on the ground outside of Columbia University. She's going to jump in with a question for you, Mr. Mayor.

Mayor Adams: Yes. Mm hmm

Antonia Hylton: Hi, Mayor Adams. I was here last night in front of Hamilton Hall as everything transpired. I have some questions for you about that. The NYPD has said that their actions here at Columbia were organized, calm. They told my colleague Tom Winter that there were no injuries reported. We have spoken to students who saw a student get thrown down the stairs by an officer. My colleague Rehema Ellis interviewed a woman who had her fingers broken. Is the NYPD telling the truth about what happened here last night?

Mayor Adams: What I find, not only as the mayor and not only as a captain in a Police Department, I find that and always have found that people do an analysis of police interactions. Some of it we could have done better. I would always agree on that. 

I know what happened last night. I know how the Police Department responded. Those individuals in the buildings should not have been in there. They broke into the building. They committed a crime. And the best way to prevent any form of interaction with the police department is not to break the law. I want to be focused on making sure when a law is broken and we are called in that we're going to use the minimum amount of force. 

Those officers were dealing with a crowd outside the school, a disruptive crowd inside on the school grounds. While that was going on, we had CUNY where people were throwing bottles and other items at those police officers. They performed the service that New Yorkers expect them to perform.

Wallace: Antonia, did you have a follow up?

Hylton: We've heard that there were outside… Yes, I want to know, too, how many outside agitators, anarchists, non affiliates were actually found inside of this building? That is the number one question that I hear from faculty, staff and students. They say they know the people in these buildings. It was students inside who were affected by all this. But we've heard from your team that there are these nameless leaders who were involved. Can you tell us who they were or at least how many of them there are?

Mayor Adams: First, I always suspected that something was happening, and I'm happy that the confirmation of my suspicion turned out to be accurate when our Intelligence Division briefed me on two particular individuals. One of them, her husband, was arrested for terrorism as well. Some of the paraphernalia and pamphlets that we saw, individuals we saw who were not CUNY students were there training individuals. We saw the escalation of the tactics that were being used. It has been reported on some of the individuals as just stated. 

I choose not to give notoriety to people who participate in activities like that, but it has been online. The Police Department has reported. I'm sure if you reach out to the Intelligence Division, they'll give you based on the information we want to release. This is extremely active, continuing to evolve. And we want to continue to do the thorough investigations that we have been doing.

Wallace: Mr. Mayor, what is happening tonight in New York and for the world that's watching? This is now an international story. What is your message?

Mayor Adams: First, you're right. The globe is watching, and particularly all over the country. Independent media outlets that observed yesterday indicated how disciplined the officers were, how organized they were. I'm happy those national independent outlets acknowledge the job that the Police Department has done. Every night, something is happening in New York City. 

We're going to be prepared and we're going to execute a plan to address whatever comes in front of us to make sure New Yorkers are safe. Not only the protesters, the students, the children, the residents, those who want to carry on their normal lives in this great city we call New York.

Wallace: New York City Mayor Eric Adams, thank you for joining us. 

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