Dem mayor rejects far left's calls to defund police: 'Loudest' minority has 'hijacked the term progressive'

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) rejected "woke" strategies to defund the New York Police Department on Thursday. He claimed that the "loudest" minority has "hijacked the term progressive," the New York Post reported.

On Thursday, Adams attacked the "Progressive Caucus" for attempting to "reduce the size and scope of the NYPD." According to the mayor, the caucus threatened to remove members who refused to sign a pledge to defund law enforcement.

Adams told CNN that a "numerical minority" of Democrats "have hijacked the term progressive." He vowed to continue to support "pro-public safety" and "pro-proper policing" policies.

"I have been progressive all my life," Adams stated. "Look at the issues I fought for, from police reform, housing, education. But we've allowed a small number that are the loudest, and they've hijacked the true meaning of the Democratic Party."

He criticized the "small number on the fringe ends of our party."

"We're not for defunding the police. We're not for attacking businesses. We're for jobs, we're for growth," Adams added.

During an MSNBC interview on Wednesday, the NYC mayor blamed "woke" individuals in the party for driving away minority voters.

"There's a hemorrhaging of our Latino community, our [Asian American and Pacific Islander] communities, that's leaving the traditional Democratic base, because we've allowed the loudest and those who consider themselves to be 'woke,'" Adams explained.

"Some of us never went to sleep, and we hear and speak directly to people, and I think the party is now understanding that we have to speak at those issues that are important: Jobs, public safety, educating our children, good health care, just these common kitchen-table issues that we run away from," he continued.

Adams applauded President Joe Biden's State of the Union address for avoiding "woke" rhetoric and returning his focus to "working people."

"This president's focus on working people is exactly what the nation needs, and his focus on helping Americans care for their children, provide for their families, and put money in their wallets will resonate from coast to coast," Adams stated. "The agenda he laid out goes hand in hand with what we are doing in New York City — this is a blue-collar president, I'm a blue-collar mayor, and we're both pursuing a blue-collar agenda for working people in New York and across the rest of the nation."

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