Eric Adams, the outgoing mayor of New York City, said combating hate, “specifically antisemitism,” remains a priority for him, as he reflected on his next steps following the end of his term.
Speaking during a public-safety announcement on Dec. 29 in New York City Hall’s Blue Room, Adams said he intends to continue addressing hate using new tools and approaches, including using “cryptocurrency” to “go after violence, educate our children and really deal with antisemitism that we’re seeing globally.”
These remarks came during a ceremony in the second half of the speech, presenting Crisis Management System organizations from across the five boroughs with keys to the city, alongside Jessica Tisch, commissioner of the New York City Police Department.
Asked to expand on using cryptocurrency to go after antisemitism, Adams replied: “It’s an opportunity to use technology, all types of technology that I want to use. And I think many people know that I’m a big technology person, and that’s another form of technology that has not been used, and I want to utilize it to do so. I’ll have more to say in the years to come.”
While much of the event focused on gun-violence prevention, the outgoing mayor emphasized that hate-driven threats remain a concern. “We still have a terrorist threat,” he said, adding that most people don’t know about it because “we have kept that threat at bay.”
But “it still exists,” he said, noting that “we need someone that has partnership with our federal and state government that can pick up the call, the phone, and deal with these important issues.”
Asked if he will go to the inauguration of mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Jan 1, Adams said that his goal “is not to disrupt his day.” He added that it’s “unfortunate that there’s a body of some of his supporters who would rather protest everything.”
As for him, “I don’t mind celebrating his day and showing a smooth, peaceful transition of power. My presence there will show that smooth transition.”
