New York Mayor Eric Adams torn after mocking Kansas for having ‘no brand’

Eric Adams, the Democratic mayor of New York, is being chastised online by progressives and conservatives for decrying the state of Kansas for its lack of ‘brand’, as Republicans also broke his record at the helm of the most populous city in the country.

Adams drew ire on Tuesday for his flippant remark during a press briefing about his recent humanitarian trips to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. During the trip, Adams said people quickly recognized New York, unlike Kansas, which Adams said “has no brand.”

Following these remarks, Adams was roundly criticized for giving credence to the trope of urban liberals despising their rural counterparts used by Republicans against Democrats.

“Do you think it’s possible for you to stop saying stupid things every day that help Republicans and hurt Democrats?” Don Winslow, author and liberal political activist, said in a tweet. “You don’t have to shit on Kansas to pump NYC. This clip will be played by Republicans for years to come. You’re terrible at it.”

Michael Quinn Sullivan, a conservative activist and publisher of Texas Scorecard, tweeted, “People are fleeing your corrupt and dangerous city to places like Kansas.”

“Maybe your ‘brand’ isn’t what you think it is,” he said.

Flanked by other city leaders, Adams described at the press conference how he and other elected officials traveled to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, where many New Yorkers have ties, to help with efforts. relief from devastating storms.

Adams called New York “an international city” and “America’s city” and recalled the reactions of onlookers during the trip when they noticed his polo shirt with “mayor” on the back. He said the message was clear to people in the affected areas: “they matter”.

“We sometimes take that for granted,” Adams said. “We have a brand. New York has a brand, and when people see it, it means something, you know?”

Laughing, Adams added, “Kansas doesn’t have a mark.”

The US Census Bureau reported in May that New York City had seen the largest population decline last year, with 305,465 residents leaving the expensive and bustling city. That’s nearly six times more than its drop of 53,624 in 2019.

Meanwhile, Kansas’ population approached 3 million in the 2020 U.S. census, adding about 100,000 residents to its wide open spaces since the 2010 count.

Some conservatives have used Adams’ remarks to launch culture war attacks on Democratic-run jurisdictions.

“We go to the bathroom and we believe that God creates boys and girls and that guns are legal and murders are rare,” said Matt Schlapp, chair of the Conservative Political Action Coalition. a tweet. “Your turn, Mayor.”

Actor Eric Stonestreet tweeted, “I’m from Kansas and have been to New York many times,” along with a promotional video touting the state’s landscape as well as its culinary and cultural contributions.

“I find beauty in both places and with people in both places,” he said. “Too bad NYC’s elected leader can’t say the same.”

While Adams said at the press conference that New York was a beacon, he has previously decried the states overflown. During his campaign last year, he told a crowd in Harlem for newcomers to ‘go back’ to Iowa and Ohio, reports The New York Times.

But Tim Rice, deputy editor of the Washington Free Beacon, said in a tweet that Adams’ remarks had united the political sphere.

“Conservatives and progressives are coming together to freak out about Eric Adams diving into Kansas,” he said. “It’s amazing. New York rocks.”

Newsweek contacted Adams’ office for comment.