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Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams struggled to get a word in as a Wisconsin audience bombarded him with boos and insults while he pitched the crowd on a proposed AI data center.
Adams was told he belongs "in prison" amid a barrage of fierce heckles during a wild eight-minute exchange that showed residents repeatedly interrupting the former mayor over his support for the proposed data center.
"You belong in prison!" one crowd member shouted, seemingly referencing Adams’ dismissed federal corruption case.
TEXAS GOV GREG ABBOTT EFFECTIVELY PAUSES NEW DATA CENTER PROJECTS PENDING STATEWIDE GRID AUDIT
Eric Adams, mayor of New York, listens during a House Oversight and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Since leaving office, Adams has worked as a "pitchman" for several real estate-related technology companies, according to The Real Deal. He said he closes about 80% of the deals he pursues.
Adams appeared at the Wisconsin meeting on behalf of PNK Group, which is looking to develop a 209-acre data center at a former paper mill along the Wisconsin River.
"Whether we like it or not, folks, data centers are going to be here," Adams told the audience.
Many Wisconsin residents in the crowd opposed the proposal and let Adams know it throughout his presentation.
"You’re here to steal our water!" one resident shouted.
As data centers expand across the country, communities are weighing new job opportunities against concerns over power, water and local impact. (Meta)
"Get out of here!" another resident shrieked.
"Put it in your backyard!" yet another said.
"Anyone can heckle, but not everybody can communicate," Adams said in response.
Adams offered to answer questions about the data center and engage in what he called a "dialogue."
The former NYC mayor urged the crowd to stop the "hate on technology," defending his stance with a personal anecdote, in which he said AI helped his doctor in his Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
The audience, again, erupted in a loud chant of boos.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall in Manhattan in New York City, March 24, 2025. (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)
Adams attempted to regain the stage and tame the angry crowd. And although one audience member came to his defense, saying, "Let him talk!," he struggled to speak over the crowd of critics.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Adams’ chief communications officer Todd Shapiro said Hell Gate, which first reported the story, got the facts "wrong."
"A short video clip cannot accurately portray an event that lasted much longer," Shapiro wrote in part. "It omits the many attendees who approached Mayor Adams afterward to thank him, ask questions, and express appreciation for his willingness to engage directly with the community."
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Shapiro also said Adams' support in proposing the Wisconsin data center is "helping communities better understand the economic opportunities that responsible AI and data center development can bring."
"Eric Adams has consistently supported policies that encourage responsible investment, create good-paying jobs, strengthen local tax bases, and position American communities to compete in the industries of the future," Shapiro told Fox News Digital.
Nora Moriarty is a Writer at Fox News Digital.
