Mayor Eric Adams Outlines Future Plans

Mayor Eric Adams shared on Thursday that his primary aim after leaving office is to pursue a Ph.D. He mentioned having received a “great offer” for his next endeavor.

During an unrelated news conference, Adams discussed his aspirations beyond City Hall. He expressed interest in returning to school, working on urban improvement worldwide, and writing a book.

“I hope you guys didn’t think I was just going to disappear,” he added with a hint of humor.

Though he did not specify where he might study or the subject area, Adams already has a bachelor’s degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a master’s in public administration from Marist College.

“I want to go back to school. Number one, I want to get my Ph.D.,” Adams reiterated.

He also indicated plans to focus on completing his book and mentioned attractive offers related to that project, possibly including a documentary.

There are whispers about him pursuing the ambassadorship for the Trump administration, and he hinted at potential international travel in the future.

“Many of you know that I love to travel,” Adams remarked. It’s worth noting that he faced federal corruption charges last year, which related to alleged bribes for business class flights from the Turkish government.

“I look forward to improving cities around the world,” he said, while suggesting that “many people” are interested in him contributing internationally.

Adams reiterated his concerns about “extremist behavior” in Europe, expressing a desire to prevent cities from facing similar challenges as those in London and Paris.

The Democrat had opted out of the party’s June primary following the corruption charges filed during former President Biden’s time in office—charges that were later dropped once President Trump resumed power.

The mayor, known as “The Party Mayor,” had reportedly accumulated $3 million in unpaid legal defense bills as of last spring.

Adams briefly ran for re-election as an independent but pulled out due to poor polling and fundraising challenges against Democratic frontrunner Zoran Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is also in the race as an independent.

He kicked off his remarks by playfully dismissing his publicist, then shared his thoughts on the next chapter of his career.

“I will call anyone who wants to call,” he assured staff.

“This was an amazing experience and I think we should share what we accomplished,” he reflected.

As he concluded, Adams stated that he would leave a city “much better than the one we inherited.”

Interestingly, he initially declared he wouldn’t take questions from reporters but quickly changed his mind, engaging with them as Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” played in the background—a song he’s come to favor during media interactions.

But after a moment, the music abruptly ceased, and he didn’t “jump” as he had joked. Instead, he answered a query about whether he’d remain engaged locally in January, saying, “I’m going to stay local here in local politics and local solutions. There are a lot of things you can do outside of government that you can’t do in government.”