The Eric Adams city hall has already been as tumultuous as anyone could have expected. The former borough president and police captain is attempting to hire his own brother for a $200,000 gig overseeing his security, a move that would seem to flout the city’s anti-nepotism laws. He’s already tapped a deputy mayor for public safety who was embroiled in a corruption scandal not long ago. Other hires are snagged, as members of his team weigh how much vetting they need to do for political allies.

But the Left shouldn’t underestimate Adams, who remains popular for now and is able, with his natural charisma, to brush past scandal and controversy. Adams has already drawn the ire of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for referring to blue-collar workers as “low skill” and arguing they don’t have the academic pedigree to occupy corner offices in Midtown, but the collision between the two famous Democrats didn’t lead to Adams giving any ground. He shot right back, referring to the congresswoman as the “word police” and moved on. For once, it wasn’t clear AOC knew how to respond.

The clash was an illustration of what won’t work against Adams. The Brooklyn Democrat has a long history of making incendiary or odd statements and surviving to battle another day. He is right — policing his language won’t get you very far. Instead, progressives and socialists must home in on policy and the places where Adams’ decisions can directly impact the working class.