President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday during a wide-ranging press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort that he would consider pardoning embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Trump, however, admitted he was unfamiliar with the specifics of the charges against Adams.
“Yeah, I would,” Trump told reporters when asked about a potential pardon, adding that he hadn’t yet reviewed the case in detail.
Adams faces federal fraud and corruption charges, accused of accepting $100,000 worth of luxury travel perks, including flight upgrades, and receiving illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals, including a Turkish official, seeking to buy his influence. Several members of his administration are also under investigation.
During his first press conference since winning the election, Trump also criticized the Biden administration’s sale of unused border wall materials, threatening legal action to halt the practice. He claimed to have spoken with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other state officials about pursuing a restraining order.
“We’re going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more on building the same wall we already have,” Trump said. “It’s almost a criminal act.”
Under a provision in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act, Congress required the Biden administration to dispose of unused border wall sections, allowing them to be sold or donated to southern border states for refurbishing existing barriers but not constructing new ones. The Pentagon has also been directed to account for the costs of storing the unused materials.
“I’m asking today, Joe Biden, to please stop selling the wall,” Trump urged.
Despite describing the transition of power as “a friendly transition,” Trump criticized remote work policies for federal employees, vowing to dismiss those who don’t return to the office under his administration.
Trump was joined at the event by SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son, who announced plans to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years. Trump framed the announcement as a significant victory, highlighting his efforts to secure foreign investment and promote economic growth during his transition period.
On his Truth Social platform last week, Trump promised expedited approvals for billion-dollar investments, including environmental permits. “GET READY TO ROCK!!!” he wrote.
While some of Trump’s previous high-profile deals have failed to deliver on their promises, the investment marks a symbolic win for the president-elect, who declared Monday, “There’s a light shining over the world.”
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