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Indicted NYC mayor abruptly cancels MLK Day appearances to attend the inauguration

Mayor of New York City Eric Adams arrives prior to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump at the United States Capitol on Monday.
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Mayor of New York City Eric Adams arrives prior to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump at the United States Capitol on Monday.

In a last-minute change of plans, New York City Mayor Eric Adams pulled out of several Martin Luther King Jr. Day-related events in his home city in order to travel to Washington, D.C., for Trump's inauguration.

City Hall released an updated schedule for the mayor Monday morning, showing that he would no longer attend events at Brooklyn Academy of Music and Convent Avenue Baptist Church, Gothamist reported.

Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for Adams, posted on X that the Trump administration invited the mayor to attend the inauguration "in the early hours of Monday morning." He accepted "on behalf of New York City," he added.

"As the mayor has repeatedly said, America has chosen a new national leader and we must work together to build a safer, stronger, and more affordable in New York City," Levy wrote.

Adams — who was indicted in the fall on federal charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting a political contribution from a foreign national — is running up against a trial date and mayoral primary this spring. Trump has previously said he would consider a pardon for Adams.

The two met at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence on Friday.

Two of Adams' primary challengers, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, were quick to criticize the mayor on social media, saying he was putting his wellbeing ahead of the city's.

On X just now, Adams himself wrote that "Inauguration Day is a sacred American tradition."

He added that, "On MLK Day, like Reverend Dr. King said, we must put partisan politics aside to do what's best for our country. I believe there's much we can achieve working alongside the federal government as we support our city's values and fight for New Yorkers."

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Rachel Treisman
Rachel Treisman (she/her) is a writer and editor for the Morning Edition live blog, which she helped launch in early 2021.