The Gothamist, Elizabeth Kim, September 7, 2023 

Mayor Eric Adams is earning praise from Republicans and criticism from members of his own party after telling an audience of Upper West Side residents that the weekly influx of thousands of migrants “will destroy New York City.”

“I’m gonna tell you something, New Yorkers, never in my life have I had a problem that I didn’t see an ending to. I don’t see an ending to this,” Adams said during a town hall event Wednesday night. “This issue will destroy New York City. Destroy New York City.”

“Everyone is saying it is New York City’s problem. Every community in this city is going to be impacted,” he added. “Every service in this city is going to be impacted, all of us.”

Adams’ comments marked some of his most aggressive rhetoric yet on a crisis that threatens to become a potent political issue in a key election cycle. Republicans have blamed the crisis on President Joe Biden and his administration’s failure to manage the southern border.

By Thursday morning, a video clip of the mayor’s remarks had gone viral on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“I don’t care if he’s a Democrat. This is the TRUTH,” said Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate and rising star among conservatives.

Joe Borelli, a Republican city councilmember who represents Staten Island, also amplified Adams’ statements, calling the city “doomed.”

Meanwhile, some progressives — including Bill Neidhardt, a Democratic strategist who served as former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s press secretary — likened Adams’ message to that of Trump.

“Let’s drop this demagoguery and invest in welcoming asylum seekers and getting them work,” posted Councilmember Tiffany Cabán of Queens.

Read More: The Gothamist