NYC Mayor Eric Adams reemerges from seclusion with fiery, campaign-style speech as few details revealed on scary illness

A fired-up Mayor Eric Adams reemerged from seclusion Thursday, coming out swinging with a campaign-style speech ripping the political rumor mill that he was days from stepping down.Adams, however, didn’t offer any details on the mystery illness that kept him uncharacteristically out of public view most of this week – and prompted a torrent of chatter about his health and the corruption case casting a shadow over his administration.“Last week was scary, it was hard, I’m not going to lie to you,” is all he told the crowd at his annual interfaith breakfast held in New York Public Library.The speech instead focused on settling real and imagined scores, and appeared to herald Adams’ shift into campaign mode as a likely bruising Democratic primary looms in June.The pro-Adams crowd repeatedly drowned out the mayor with roaring applause and cheers as he railed that the media wouldn’t cover his administration’s accomplishments on fighting crime, foster care and more.“Let me tell you why people are angry, because one of you is in charge of this city,” he said.“I’m an ordinary, dyslexic, hard-working, blue-collar mayor and those who have been in power for years who have denied you have to deal with the fact that we are now in charge.”Adams’ pugilistic stance was in stark contrast to his notable public absence through an eventful week punctuated by dramatic federal immigration raids in New York City.City Hall officials repeatedly said Adams was on doctors’ orders to not maintain his public schedule, but he was spotted by The Post ducking out of Gracie Mansion late Monday on an hours-long trip.

He also met with union leaders whose support could be pivotal in his re-election fight.Tongues started wagging in the vacuum left by Adams, as his absence unfolded during the primary season and while he faced a whopping $735,000 legal defense debt, strong hints by federal prosecutors that he could face additional charges and a seeming unwillingness to critic...