Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) slammed New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s (D) invitation to stay at a migrant shelter during his visit to the Big Apple, calling it a “gimmick” in an interview on Thursday.
“The invitation is nothing more than a gimmick,” Abbott said during an interview on Fox News’s “Hannity.”
“And what I will suggest to the mayor of New York is there are people dying on his watch,” Abbott continued. “Law enforcement officers are being gunned down by people that have been arrested 20 times, and he needs to take charge and make sure they keep behind bars dangerous criminals who are killing his fellow New Yorkers.”
Abbott was likely referring to a New York City Police Department officer, Jonathan Diller, who was recently killed at a traffic stop by a man who had allegedly been arrested 21 times, nine for felonies. The suspect had been released from prison in September 2021 after serving nearly five years.
Adams announced Thursday that the city has continued to see a dramatic decline in crime, consistent with the year-over-year trend in most other large cities in the country.
Adams was asked Thursday about Abbott’s scheduled trip to New York, where he spoke later that day at a Republican fundraiser.
“I’m going to offer him a stay in one of the HERRCs, so he can see what he has created and understand how we are treating people with the dignity and respect that he should have shown,” Adams said during a press conference, referring to a Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers (HERRC) set up to house migrants amid an influx in recent months.
“I’m not quite sure why he’s here and what he’s doing while here,” Adams said. “But he’s going to see how you can manage the crisis with coordination.”
The remarks are the latest escalation in the feud between the two public figures as they both have continued to deal with a surge in migration. Abbott has been sending buses of migrants to New York and has drawn criticism from Adams and others for deploying the tactic without giving notice.