Adams Says ‘We’re in a Recession,’ Contradicting Biden

By Reuvain Borchardt and Matis Glenn

STATEN ISLAND — New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday, “We’re in a recession,” contradicting the administration of President Joe Biden, a fellow Democrat.

The U.S. Commerce Department announced Thursday morning that the economy had its second consecutive quarter of negative growth – the classic definition of recession. Biden responded by saying in a speech that “we’re on the right path,” and citing, as he’s done several times, the healthy job market as a counter-indicator to recession.

Mere hours after Biden’s response, Adams spoke at the Sanzer Yeshiva in Staten Island, at an event of interfaith leaders hosted by Project Hospitality, a non-profit organization that helps homeless and needy people.

Speaking about the need to use money wisely, Adams compared the city’s budget to his growing up in a lower-income family. The mayor said that his mother would show him and his siblings the family’s income and expenses, and say to them, “You tell me what to take off the plate if you want me to put something else on the plate.”

“I’m coming to you as a city and saying, ‘This is how much we have, that’s it … We are in a financial crisis, like you can never imagine … Wall Street is collapsing; we’re in a recession.”

Adams walked back the remark when a Hamodia reporter asked him following the event if the Biden administration is wrong for saying that the U.S. is not in a recession. “We’re going to recover, and Biden is the president, and I follow his presidency,” Adams responded.

Asked whether we are in a recession, Adams replied, “The president will make a determination on the official title of where we are; that’s the President, and I follow the lead of the president. We’re dealing with tough economic times, but we’re going to get through it, because I trust in the president.”

Adams was set to meet later Thursday with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is visiting New York.

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rborchardt@hamodia.com

mglenn@hamodia.com