New York City Mayor Eric Adams apologized Friday after a 2019 video surfaced showing him using a racial slur for white people when talking about the New York Police Department.
The video, first reported by the New York Daily News, shows Adams, who is Black, speaking at a private event in December 2019, during the early stages of his mayoral run.
Adams is a former New York City police officer who rose to the rank of captain before leaving to serve in elected office. While in the New York Police Department, he became an outspoken critic of the department and co-founded an advocacy group called 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, which pushed for criminal justice reform and spoke out against police brutality.
Speaking to a Harlem business group, Adams said “Every day in the police department, I kicked those crackers’ ass, man! I was unbelievable in the police department with 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement.” The line drew applause.
Adams was asked about the video at a news conference Friday and said he wanted to “definitely apologize” for his remarks and called them “inappropriate.”
“Inappropriate comments, should not have been used. Someone asked me a question using that comment and playing on that word. I responded in that comment. But clearly, it’s a comment that should not be used and I apologize not only to those who heard it but to New Yorkers because they should expect more from me, and that was inappropriate,” Adams said.
The word has often been considered a derogatory term for poor Southern white people, but the origins of the term are not entirely clear.
A 2013 report from NPR found the term was used as an insult as far back as the 17th Century and was later used to refer to Scots-Irish immigrants settling in the Southern U.S.
The mayor, who has been in office a little over a month, said the comment referred to his efforts to combat racism in the department.
“My fight in the police department was fighting racism throughout my entire journey. And I was serious about fighting against that and that is what it was attached to, the question that was asked. And that, you got my response, based on what that question was,” he said.
The head of the city’s largest police union quickly put out a statement defending Adams.
“Whenever a controversial video of a police officer surfaces online, we ask for fairness instead of a rush to outrage. We will apply the same standard here,” said Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch, who is white.
“We have spoken with Mayor Adams about this video. We have spent far too many hours together in hospital emergency rooms these past few weeks, and we’ve worked together for decades before that. A few seconds of video will not define our relationship. We have a lot of work to do together to support our members on the streets.”
Adams apology came a day after he hosted President Joe Biden in New York City and they met with top law enforcement officers to discuss plans to try to cut down gun violence in cities.
That presidential visit followed the deaths of two New York City police officers in a shooting in Harlem.
Associated Press reporter Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report
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Since all liberals play the race card, all the liberals have to do is look into a mirror and their reflections will show them who the “real racists” are. Hey, Mayor Eric Adams, I am a proud “cracker” who judges a person by the content of their character, not the color of their skin.
No surprise here.. I have OFTEN seen and heard blacks, using the cracker term towards fellow whites, AND IT NEVER EVER BE SEEN as ‘being racist’.
BUT EVEN IF a white is not just friends, but RELATED to a black guy, and uses the N word IN THE SAME MANNER As his ‘relative’ does. ITS INSTANTLY ‘He is racist!”
New Yodk’s Xity ” Black City Mayor ‘ used The Race Card, ” to further his Xause And then ,Latter Attempted To explaim himzelf later for having ” Played The Race Card, ” when it was convient ant for him to identify himself as of ‘ The Black Race.
NYC’s Mayor Adams said “Every day in the police department, I kicked those crackers’ ***, man! I was unbelievable in the police department with 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement.”
What do you think would happen to a White Mayor of NYC if he were to have said”
“Every day in the police department, I kicked those wiggers’ assk, man! I was unbelievable”
The Negro race is the most racist race of all races.
They profess to be enemies of racism, but they inject racism everywhere, even where it does not exist.
Thank you for serving Scruffy. And you can use the word “******”, in context. I believe freedom of speech is what many fought and died for to preserve. And you are right, if an American of European descent in public service was to refer to someone as “******” they’d be done. When I worked in the prison system the inmates called each other that. It’s just not appropriate for us to call someone that.
And what’s worse, is they get DEFENDED for using the N word towards on another…
“Speaking to a Harlem business group, Adams said “Every day in the police department, I kicked those crackers’ ***, man! I was unbelievable in the police department with 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement.” The line drew applause.”
“Adams was asked about the video at a news conference Friday and said he wanted to “definitely apologize” for his remarks and called them “inappropriate.”
There has been no apology for the past two-to-three years—only after it was uncovered and brought to your attention did you offer an “apology”—more accurately, a political cya statement. And all of these “Crackers” whose ***** you kicked—every damned time one of them roughed up or shot a Black, what was the response? Oh, but Mr Model Citizen and Mr Impeccable Professional was carrying the banner and leading the fight to stamp out racism.
You have no business whatsoever in public office, Mayor Adams—none whatsoever.
ITS only an apology cause he got CALLED OUT On it…
Maybe we Americans need to kick your *** out of office.. After all the City of New York is still in the State of New York and must obey the Constitution of the United States which does not allow anyone other than Citizens of the United States the right to vote..
but who in NY will force them to follow the constitution? THE STATE ag’s office?? Doubtful. The Dept of injustice?? As likely as a snowball in hell….
All this race hate needs to stop, and we should recognize that in this country there is but one race: the American race. We don’t all look the same, or sound the same. But we all share this great country, and we should do everything in our power to keep it safe and prosperous not only for us but for future generations to come.
Sorry AJ, meant to give you 5 stars and my mouse slipped. You are correct, race hate needs to stop from both sides.
That said, if this video was going to come out it should have been before the election when voters could decide if his racism would affect their votes.
THe left is the one constantly using and PUSHING racism. TILL THEY STOP, why should anyone else?
“What I was then ,is what I am now” a racist !! Rosanne was fired , this guy and whoopi get a pass. Black Privilege ???
You don’t understand , the pain that is inflicted when someone is called “ the N word” except when black rappers use that word. When a former slave uses the word CRACKER it’s all part of a healing process for the horrible memories they have as slaves.
How many “former slaves” do you reckon are still alive?
IN america.. NONE unless they are 140+ years old
Ringmaster,
I think it’s YOU who doesn’t understand, you see, that same pain is what I feel when I hear “cracker” and if my relief is to throw **** backatcha, we’ve entered an unbroken circle that will never, ever cease. This name calling is for idiots. Consult GOD Almighty in prayer about it.
The most important thing in all of this is how they treat the two newest offenders: Eric Adams and Joe Rogan. The fact that I can tell you what Eric said but not what Joe said says all you need to know. I used the N-word a few times when I was younger. And when I was in the Navy, Blacks used it habitually, as they did cracker and ****** wood. I truthfully don’t care what anyone says about me, IF they are NOT a close friend. That’s my rule, “if we are friends, you have to treat me respectfully. But what do I care what some unknown calls me? But Rogan used this word over 10 years ago. So, let’s move on. When Joy Reed apologizes, I will care about someone using the N-word. As I said, I don’t like it, but there are much more hurtful things. When they apologize to Kyle R., then I might care.
GOPUSA, you folks are idiots! You made my point, fools. Republicans, “go along to get along” types! Stand up and exercise a little free speech.
Once a racist always a racist but I didn’t see white people burning or destroying private property
From what I’ve heard, the cops that were murdered were by black criminals. Sounds like NYC voted in another criminal for mayor.
SINCE they voted in a demon-rat, OF COURSE they just changed out one Crook, for another crook.!
If someone callls me an SOB I do not get offended as I do not see myself as one therefore if someone calls you a name and you get offended then you must believe you are what was said.
Personally, as a white man who cares he said cracker. The problem here is we allowed politicians, msm and special groups to turn us against each other. Time to stop being so thin skinned and just move on working together. We need to stop letting politicians, msm and special groups from dividing us! Don’t you find it strange, one day their calling for everyone to be color blind but then they keep dividing us by color. Their playing a game and we are the pawns! Time to look at what really is going on, its politicians, msm and the elite no matter what color who keep us at odds! They live on power and control.
I care because WHY SHOULD ONE race be allowed to hurl racial insults, BUT OTHERS ARE banned from it?
EITHER ALL ‘race hate’ words are bad/wrong/not-allowed, OR THEY SHOULD ALL be allowed.
Way back in December 2019?
Why, that’s over two long years ago!!! Like ancient history.
I’m fairly certain that as a nation we had long before agreed and accepted that such derogatory terms were less than acceptable. The “N” word was banned from use by white citizens over 52 years ago.
You Leftist guys are not all that progressive after all, are you?
a derogatory term for poor Southern white people, aka Georgia Crackers. I’m also of the Irish/Scottish decent.
This racist black man cannot serve anywhere in the United States again in any capacity. One slip of the tongue like that has completely ruined forever many a white men, no apology accepted under no circumstances. What comes around goes around Mr. Adams. Out of sight for you forever. Society should shun you just the same as if a white men were to even think of saying the word ****. Will we ever overcome this GODless struggle? How many hundreds of years will it take to weed out the hypocrites and “Can’t we all just get along”….. Sheeshhh