Team Trump dangles Riyadh gig as Eric Adams limps through NYC mayoral race

The Trump camp is quietly floating Eric Adams for a plum job — US ambassador to Saudi Arabia — just as New York City’s embattled mayor, mired in single-digit polls, faces growing pressure to abandon his re-election bid.

According to people familiar with the talks, billionaire adviser Steve Witkoff met Adams in Florida this week as part of an effort to coax him out of the race and clear a path against Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the current frontrunner. A HUD post has also been mentioned as a softer landing. The White House and Adams’s team aren’t commenting.

Trump hasn’t blessed a deal publicly, but he did say he doesn’t want “a communist” in City Hall and favors a winnowed, head-to-head contest. If Adams exits, the immediate beneficiary is Andrew Cuomo, whose base overlaps with the mayor’s older, moderate, blue-collar voters. Curtis Sliwa says he’s not going anywhere.

Adams insists he’s staying put — and swatted away questions about pressure or job offers:

“No pressure, no diamonds.”

Still, he abruptly canceled a public appearance Friday. Ambassadorships require Senate confirmation, so even a formal nod would take time.

Democrats, meanwhile, are being dragged into the drama. Allies of Mamdani want Gov. Kathy Hochul, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to get off the sidelines and endorse the 33-year-old nominee. Their calculation: Trump’s meddling only hardens blue NYC against anyone seen as his pick.

The timing isn’t subtle. Adams has been reminding audiences of his past Middle East travel — “when I visited Saudi Arabia…” — even as he denies any back-channel job hunt. Whether this becomes a diplomatic posting or just a very public nudge, the message from Trump World is clear: Riyadh or the race — pick one.

Politico, the New York Times, and Al Jazeera contributed to this report.