Talks Between Adams and Trump Adviser Center on Saudi Ambassadorship

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 conversations 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 Mr. Trump 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.

Todd Shapiro, a spokesman for Mr. Adams’s campaign, did not immediately comment, nor did the White House.