Biden campaign drops mayor of New York over migrant row

THE Democrat mayor of New York City has been dropped from Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign after criticising the White House over its botched handling of rising crime and immigration rates.

Eric Adams, one of America’s most high-profile Democrats, was due to be a key surrogate on the campaign trail for Mr Biden, 70, as he seeks a second term.

A former police captain, Mr Adams has stood out among his party for his tough-on-crime agenda and has been unafraid to single out the president for criticism. He has previously said his city is “being destroyed by the migrant crisis”, as Republican-led states like Florida and Texas sent bus loads of asylum seekers to New York.

“The president and the White House have failed this city,” Mr Adams said last month, a line many Republicans have used in their attacks on Mr Biden.

Mr Adams confirmed he was joining a national advisory board for the Democrats’ 2024 election campaign in March, but insisted that it would not change his approach. “I think the president sees something in what I’m doing in New York and for him to ask me to join his panel, I’m happy to do it,” he said at the time.

But he added: “Those who cover me and know me, know that I’m going to speak on behalf of the people of this city, no matter what panel I’m on.

“And you know, being a president comes with a menu of items.

“It doesn’t mean there’s not going to be an item on that menu that I dislike. I dislike what we’re doing around the asylum seekers.”

But it appears the White House has soured on Mr Adams, and decided to exclude him from the squad that will travel the country on Mr Biden’s behalf.

Mr Adams was dropped from the White House’s squad of campaign surrogates when the final list was released last week.

The group is composed of 50 Democratic stars, in an attempt to both showcase the party’s ideological diversity and soothe internal divisions ahead of a difficult re-election campaign.