Close advisers have been crafting a plan for President Trump to nominate Mayor Eric Adams to be ambassador to Saudi Arabia, in an effort to end the mayor’s long-shot campaign for re-election in New York City, according to four people familiar with the discussions.
The discussions could still fall apart for a variety of reasons, the people cautioned. But Steve Witkoff, a billionaire real estate investor and adviser to Mr. Trump, has actively pursued the matter in recent days, meeting personally with Mr. Adams earlier this week in Florida and speaking with other people close to him.
It remains unclear if the White House or Mr. Witkoff, whose first role in the administration was as envoy to the Middle East, has formally committed to Mr. Trump nominating Mr. Adams, or offered any other job.
Mr. Adams, a Democrat, has told allies he is considering a range of options but at the same time has publicly insisted he is staying in the race for a second term. His final decision could hinge on the details, though, including whether he could end his campaign but serve out his remaining months in office or would be asked to resign early.
The extent of Mr. Trump’s direct involvement in the talks is also cloudy, and people close to Mr. Adams were uncertain whether the idea of him being nominated to the ambassadorship had the president’s backing. But the president said on Thursday that he would prefer two candidates to “drop out” to enable a third to take on Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and front-runner, in a head-to-head matchup.
Privately, to several associates, Mr. Trump has indicated that he believes former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, 67, is best positioned to win such a race.
While Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Trump tangled at various points during the first Trump presidency, the two men have known each other for more than 40 years and have had what the former governor privately joked to donors is a “dysfunctional marriage.”
Todd Shapiro, a spokesman for Mr. Adams’s campaign, did not immediately comment, nor did the White House.
The New York Times reported this week that Mr. Trump’s allies had been discussing ways to persuade both Mr. Adams and Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, to drop out of the race, thereby clearing the field for Mr. Cuomo’s third-party candidacy.
Mr. Sliwa, for his part, has insisted that he has no interest in a job in the Trump administration and plans to stay in the race until the end.
Ambassadorships are subject to Senate confirmation, a process that can take months or longer to complete. But the role of envoy to Saudi Arabia is a significant posting that would give Mr. Adams a window into new relationships globally.
Dana Rubinstein covers New York City politics and government for The Times.
William K. Rashbaum is a Times reporter covering municipal and political corruption, the courts and broader law enforcement topics in New York.
Nicholas Fandos is a Times reporter covering New York politics and government.
Maggie Haberman is a White House correspondent for The Times, reporting on President Trump.
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