NEW YORK — It’s time for Rep. George Santos to go, Mayor Eric Adams said Friday.
Adams, who unlike most Democrats pledged just two weeks ago to work with the pariah Republican congressman as he represents parts of Queens and Long Island, changed his tune during an interview with CBS 2 News.
“I believe personally that he should leave,” Adams said. “I think he should resign. What you see is something that is unimaginable, and I think it only gets in the way of what needs to be done in Congress this year.”
Adams has repeatedly called on the federal government to address the migrant crisis, which has stretched city resources with the arrival of over 41,000 asylum seekers since last year.
Earlier this month, Adams stopped short of urging Santos to step down, despite calls from the congressman’s own party to resign over false claims he made about his background from his Jewish ancestry to his investment banking career.
“I don’t think my opinion matters here,” Adams said when asked about Santos at a Jan. 12 press conference about the city budget. “We’re not leaving any stone unturned on who we should be sitting down with to make sure New Yorkers get the resources that they need.”
Santos is staring down the barrel of multiple investigations as a new poll showed a majority of New Yorkers want him to resign.
“I think the voters have to make that determination,” Adams said Friday on CBS 2, “but personally, I believe it’s time for him to leave.”
Adams was scheduled to meet with Santos on Dec. 13, according to a report in the Daily News, roughly a week before the bombshell story about the freshman lawmaker’s many lies. Members of Santos’ team cancelled the meeting the day before, however, during a back-and-forth with a mayoral scheduler.
A City Hall spokesperson said Friday the mayor likes to meet with lots of newly elected officials. But he has never spoken with Santos.
