Former President Donald Trump predicted New York City Mayor Eric Adams' indictment and criticized the "dirty players" in the Justice Department during a press conference on Thursday.
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday predicted that New York City Mayor Eric Adams would be indicted within a year, a prediction that came true on Wednesday when Adams was charged with federal corruption charges.
Trump made the remarks during a press conference at Trump Tower in New York City, where he fielded questions on a range of topics, including the war in Ukraine, Iran, and Adams' indictment.
Trump Predicts NYC Mayor Adams' Indictment, Slams 'Dirty Players' in Justice Department
"I watched about a year ago when he talked about how the illegal migrants are hurting our city, and the federal government should pay us and we shouldn’t have to take them," Trump said. "I said, ‘You know what? He’ll be indicted within a year.’ And I was exactly right because that’s what we have."
Trump added that "we have people that use the Justice Department and the FBI at levels that have never been seen before," and wished Adams luck in his fight against the Justice Department.
Trump Predicts NYC Mayor Adams' Indictment, Slams 'Dirty Players' in Justice Department
"We need an honest Justice Department. We need an honest FBI, and we need it fast," Trump said.
Trump admitted that he did not know anything about what Adams did to get indicted, but a group in the room told Trump he was right about his prediction.
Trump Predicts NYC Mayor Adams' Indictment, Slams 'Dirty Players' in Justice Department
The indictment against Adams stems from a campaign finance investigation into his 2021 mayoral campaign. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to receive campaign contributions from foreign nationals and commit wire fraud and bribery, one count of wire fraud, two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, and one count of soliciting and accepting a bribe.
The alleged fraud involved the mayor's campaign conspiring with the Turkish government and other entities to raise funds. Adams allegedly received $10 million in matching funds from taxpayers under a program that supplements small-dollar donations. In addition to campaign donations, Adams allegedly received other perks like free flights on Turkish Airlines, free hotel stays, and free high-end meals.
Trump Predicts NYC Mayor Adams' Indictment, Slams 'Dirty Players' in Justice Department
Adams has denied the charges and has vowed to fight them. He has called the indictment a "political attack" and has accused the Justice Department of targeting him because he is a black man.
The Justice Department has not commented on the indictment.
Trump Predicts NYC Mayor Adams' Indictment, Slams 'Dirty Players' in Justice Department
The indictment against Adams is a significant development in the ongoing investigation into corruption in New York City politics. It is the first time a sitting mayor of New York City has been indicted on federal corruption charges.
The indictment is also a blow to Adams, who has been in office for less than a year. He has been a vocal critic of the Justice Department and has accused the agency of being politically motivated.
The indictment is likely to cast a shadow over Adams' mayoralty and could potentially lead to his removal from office.
