ADAMS OUT: New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) has ended his long-shot reelection bid for a second term leading the country's largest city after weeks of pressure for him to step aside.
Adams, the second Black mayor in New York City's history, faced long odds from the beginning of his reelection campaign after his popularity hit rock bottom amid the indictment filed against him last year accusing him of accepting bribes in exchange for favors to businessmen and a Turkish government official.
The charges were later dropped in a long process that also received widespread scrutiny, as critics alleged a quid pro quo took place in which the Department of Justice agreed to end the case and Adams agreed to work with the Trump administration on its priorities.
Adams adamantly denied that any such agreement happened and denounced the case against him as politically motivated, without providing evidence.
But he never recovered in the polls and struggled with fundraising. In the four-way general election race, Adams was only averaging just more than 8 percent support as of last week in the Decision Desk HQ polling average.
His departure from the race leaves a three-person contest between Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary in an upset.
Those opposed to Mamdani, a democratic socialist, have expressed concern for months that the vote against him would be split among multiple candidates, allowing him to win. Mamdani is the heavy favorite as the Democratic nominee in the overwhelmingly Democratic city, but polling has shown Mamdani with less than 50 percent support, suggesting a possible avenue for another candidate.
Cuomo has polled consistently in second and argued that he's the most electable candidate. But with a three-person race, the anti-Mamdani vote could still be split, and Sliwa hasn't shown signs, in public or private, of possibly ending his campaign, unlike Adams.
"Curtis Sliwa is the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani. Our team, our resources, and our funding are unmatched. Most importantly, we have the best solutions to help working people afford to stay in New York City and feel safe," said Sliwa campaign spokesperson Daniel Kurzyna.
The race has likely become considerably more competitive with Adams out, and the type of voter that Adams appealed to — voters who are more moderate, voters of color and older voters — is the same type of voter that Cuomo has sought to appeal to. That could help the former governor narrow the gap with Mamdani in the polls.
But Cuomo has only seemed to have a chance in a head-to-head matchup so far, requiring more movement in the race with five weeks left before Election Day.
▪ The Hill: Cuomo warns of "destructive extremist forces" after Adams drops out.
▪ The Hill: Mamdani says Trump's donors 'will not dictate' NYC mayoral race.
▪ New York Magazine: Without Adams, should Mamdani be worried?
TROOPS TO PORTLAND: In the latest expansion of the use of the National Guard in U.S. cities, Trump announced he's sending troops to Portland, Ore., to protect the city and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities from antifa and other "domestic terrorists."
Trump has previously sent troops to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and an influx of troops are expected in Memphis starting today, according to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R).
The move also seems to be an early action Trump has taken to address the anti-fascist movement after signing an executive order last week declaring it a "domestic terrorist organization."
Since antifa is a decentralized movement without a clear leadership structure, how Trump intends the order to be enforced isn't clear. But he specifically named antifa as a reason for wanting to send the guard into Portland, blaming it for putting ICE facilities "under siege."
But Democrats were quick to push back, denouncing the move as a power grab and unnecessary.
"Authoritarians rely on fear to divide us," Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), who represents Portland, wrote Saturday on the social platform X. "Portland will not give them that."
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) said she hasn't received any details about the mission and has reached out to the White House for more information. She said "no national security threat" exists in Portland.
As has happened in other jurisdictions where Trump has sent troops, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield (D) announced on Sunday that he's filing a federal lawsuit against the administration, arguing the deployment is unlawful.
Trump's announcement also comes after the shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas in which one detainee was killed and two others were injured. Officials said the shooter hoped to "terrorize" ICE employees and wanted to harm them, though no ICE officials were hurt.
Kotek said she has been "abundantly clear" in conversations with Trump that the city and state can handle local public safety needs. But these assurance from other Democratic officials in other cities haven't led to Trump backing down as the president eyes an expansion of his policy sending troops in.
▪ The Hill: Poll shows Americans generally oppose Trump's National Guard deployment.
TRUMP TO QUANTICO: The president confirmed he plans to attend a rare gathering of hundreds of top military leaders on Tuesday.
He told NBC News in an interview on Sunday that the event will be "just a very nice meeting talking about how well we're doing militarily."
"We have some great people coming in and it's just an esprit de corps. You know the expression 'esprit de corps'?" Trump told the network. "That's all it's about. We're talking about what we're doing, what they're doing, and how we're doing."
The meeting will take place at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va. The Washington Post first reported Trump's attendance.
NBC previously reported that the meeting is designed for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to promote the military's accomplishments and outline his vision for the Defense Department.
The directive for the meeting was sent to all senior officers with the rank of brigadier general or above, their Navy equivalents and their top enlisted advisers — equaling more than 800 generals and admirals.
Both the size of the gathering and the short notice for the hundreds of top military leaders are highly uncommon. Their attendance in one location, along with the president's, also presents some security concerns.
Trump and Vance both downplayed the significance of the meeting after reports about it came out, with Trump saying those in attendance would be "touring equipment sites" and discussing the latest weapons.
▪ The Hill: Hegseth stirs speculation with mystery meeting of military leaders.
DEFENSE PRODUCTION: The Pentagon is urging defense contractors to increase missile production for a potential conflict with China, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Defense Department leaders and the heads of several top missile makers have met to discuss a push to speed up production, the Journal reported. Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg is reportedly taking a particularly hands-on role in the discussions.
Defense contractors have added workers, expanded factory floors and grown their spare-part inventories, but some inside and outside the government are concerned that the Pentagon's targets aren't realistic, the Journal reported.
Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" provided $25 billion for five-year munitions funding, but analysts told the outlet that the department's goals require tens of billions more.
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