New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that his ongoing legal troubles were not brought up during his Friday meetup with President-elect Donald Trump.
The two spent more than an hour talking over lunch at Trump International Golf Course in Palm Beach, Florida, sources informed The New York Post.
Alongside Adams and Trump were Eric Trump, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and Adams’ former Chief of Staff Frank Carone.
According to a statement from Adams, the conversation avoided any mention of his high-profile criminal case.
Adams currently faces federal charges for an alleged bribery scheme involving illegal foreign contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign. While the indictment remains a significant hurdle as Adams approaches re-election, he has strongly denied these accusations, pleading not guilty.
“President Trump and I had a productive conversation about New York’s needs and what’s best for our city, and how the federal government can play a more helpful role in improving the lives of New Yorkers,” Adams said.
He noted their discussion spanned a variety of key issues, including the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, its implications for public safety in the U.S., strategies to revitalize manufacturing jobs in New York (specifically the Bronx), and the potential for increasing federal investments in New York’s infrastructure.
Adams did reveal that he ran into Sylvester Stallone, who was recently named one of Trump’s “ambassadors” to Hollywood, while at dinner with the President-elect.
“I saw him, and I told him how much I loved his ‘Rocky’ series,” Adams shared in a video clip posted by the a New York Times reporter.
Meanwhile, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates shared his own recent interaction with Trump. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Gates described a memorable dinner conversation that occurred roughly two weeks prior.
“I had a chance, about two weeks ago, to go have a long and actually quite intriguing dinner with him,” Gates detailed in his interview.
According to philanthropist, their discussion revolved around the global health sector, particularly innovation in combating major diseases.
Accompanied at the meeting by Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming White House Chief of Staff, Gates commented on Trump’s enthusiasm during their deep-dive into topics like HIV treatments and efforts to minimize polio cases.
He noted how animated Trump became as these topics unfolded. “He, in the Covid days, accelerated the vaccine innovation,” Gates remarked. “So I was asking him if maybe the same kind of thing could be done here, and we both got, I think, pretty excited about that.”
Gates reflected on Trump’s apparent energy and interest in global health advancements, saying, “He was fascinated to hear what he could do to maximize the chance that during the next four years that incredible milestone will be achieved.”
Speaking on Trump’s mindset during the dinner—an engagement that stretched on for nearly three hours—Gates shared his positive impression, observing, “I felt like he was energized and looking forward to helping to drive innovation.”
