Is Trump Helping You or Hurting You? A Cautionary Tale.

President Trump has always known how to exploit New York City’s potential for drama, and Mayor Eric Adams is the latest actor witlessly dragged onto his national stage.

The president appears to have done a favor for Mr. Adams, in having his Justice Department direct federal prosecutors to drop corruption charges against the mayor. But in reality, Mr. Trump has effortlessly humiliated Mr. Adams and the state’s Democratic establishment and further weakened the party’s reputation.

The letter from Mr. Trump’s Department of Justice outlining its decision is a poisoned offering to the mayor.

The mayor has always said that he wanted to prove his innocence in court before the June primary in which he is running for re-election. Yet the Department of Justice made clear it was not absolving him and could refile charges after the November election.

The letter also makes clear the price that the White House has exacted from the mayor in the meantime. It said the criminal case had limited the mayor’s ability to help the federal government “protect the American people from the disastrous effects of unlawful mass migration and resettlement.” The implication is that Mr. Adams will use this reprieve to cooperate with Trump deportations — or else.

But Mr. Adams had already signaled that he wantedto cooperate with Mr. Trump. Hours before the letter, the mayor had reportedly told deputies and other city officials not to publicly criticize the president.