Five New York City Democrats are competing to become the left-leaning candidate of choice in the June mayoral primary.

Being “tough on crime” has worked for conservative politicians for decades, and it worked for Adams too. But quickly, Adams’ actual conservative policies and resolute unseriousness about governance knocked him out of the public’s good graces.

During an interview with far-right political commentator Tucker Carlson, New York City Mayor Eric Adams distanced himself from the Democratic Party and reiterated his claim that he was targeted by federal prosecutors because he criticized then-President Joe Biden’s handling of the migrant influx.