Hochul reiterates she can still oust Adams, blames Trump for perception of holding the city hostage

Gov. Kathy Hochul once again reaffirmed that she has the power to oust Mayor Adams and blamed much of the frenzy over a speculated quid pro quo on President Trump.Hochul (D), 66, has been under intense pressure from some Democrats to jettison the embattled NYC mayor but so far has instead opted to add more guardrails and supervision.“I still hold that option to remove him,” Hochul told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” Sunday.“It is an extraordinary power.

And I know there’s a lot of people disappointed and angry and want something done immediately.”“I will always stand on the fact that we are a nation of laws, and one individual, the governor of New York, should not use her voice and her will to override the will of the voters.”Earlier this month, the Justice Department moved to scrap the five-count bribery case against Adams, leading to a slew of resignations in the Southern District of New York and fueling speculation that a deal had been forged between the Trump administration and Hizzoner.Shortly thereafter, Hizzoner agreed to reopen the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office on Rikers Island, which had been shuttered since 2014.Adams later appeared in a jarring interview alongside Tom Homan on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” in which the border czar said, “If he doesn’t come through, I’ll be back in New York City, and we won’t be sitting on the couch, I’ll be in his office, up his butt, saying, ‘Where the hell is this agreement we came to?'”Homan later denied speculation of a quid pro quo and called the conjecture “ridiculous.” Adams has also denied the accusations.“I’m also going to be very cognizant,” Hochul added during the Sunday interview.“I need to keep an eye on this situation, especially the way the Trump administration has telegraphed that they want to get into our operations, and I have to be the firewall to stop that.”Last week instead of pushing Adams out, Hochul announced ethics reforms...