New York City Mayor Eric Adams
© Getty Images / Alex WongNew York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during the 90th Winter Meeting of USCM on January 20, 2022 in Washington DC.
Mayor Eric Adams said the vegan phrase a whopping six times in a single minute

New York City Mayor Eric Adams repeatedly stated that he eats a "plant-based centered life" during a press conference on Monday, during which he also signaled his desire to make other New Yorkers vegan too.

Following reports that the supposedly vegan mayor had been spotted eating fish at restaurants, Adams was asked on Monday how often he eats fish and whether he eats any other animal proteins too.

"I eat a plant-based centered life," Adams responded. "Some people want to call me vegan, [but] vegans eat Oreos and they drink Coca-Cola. I don't. I eat a plant-based centered life and those who are the food police for me, they can food police all the time. I eat a plant-based centered life. I eat a plant-based centered life."

"I eat a plant-based centered life," the mayor continued. "And I'm not going down this rabbit hole of 'if you eat cake and it has eggs in it, did you analyze it?' I'm not doing that. The more plant-based you eat, the better and healthier you are."
Adams criticized reporters for following him around in restaurants "wondering what I'm ordering," and concluded, "Listen, I'm not doing that, that's noise to me. I've got to get New Yorkers to eat a plant-based centered life."

Adams said the phrase "plant-based centered life" a whopping six times in just one minute, but failed to say whether he eats fish or any other animal proteins and, if so, how often.

Hours after the press conference, however, the mayor confessed in a statement to occasionally eating fish.
"I want to be a role model for people who are following or aspire to follow a plant-based diet, but, as I said, I am perfectly imperfect, and have occasionally eaten fish," Adams declared.