NEW YORK (TNND) — New York Mayor Eric Adams will reportedly head to the White House next week as rumors swirl around the Trump administration offering him a job in exchange for dropping his reelection campaign.

“Eric Adams knows he can’t win [in November] and is exploring his options,” a source close to the mayor told The New York Post. “Does he want to be an ambassador? Sure, but that has to be appointed by the president and the president has not asked him.”

Adams, who is running as an independent, denied exiting the race in interviews, stating, "I am still running for reelection, and my full focus is on the safety and quality of life of every New Yorker. I will always listen if called to serve our country."

Todd Shapiro, Adams' campaign spokesperson, reiterated in a statement that the mayor "is not dropping out of the race."

The New York Times was the first to report that advisers to Trump floated the idea of offering Adams a job in the administration as a way to clear the field in November's mayoral election.

Candidates for mayor include Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.

Adams had previously quit the Democratic primary after he was charged in a federal corruption case. The Trump administration successfully moved to drop the case so the mayor could better assist with the president's immigration agenda, which freed Adams up to run as an independent in the general election, but has not helped his image in the overwhelmingly Democratic city.

Trump said "No" when asked by a reporter Thursday night during a dinner at the White House if he had urged any of the candidates to drop out of the race.

“I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one-on-one, and I think that’s a race that could be won," he added, noting that Mamdani is likely to win unless two of the three major candidates drop out.

On a recent trip to Miami, Adams met with Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, a source briefed on the discussion told The Associated Press.

Adams acknowledged meeting with “several political figures” on his Florida trip, which he said was to “deal with some personal issues.”

He told reporters on Thursday during an event touting an endorsement from some Muslim leaders that he wasn't bothered by growing calls for him to end his campaign.

“No pressure, no diamonds. Just because people yell at you and call you names, and just because a number of people ask you to step down or don’t do what you believe, you’re supposed to succumb to that? That’s not what I do.”

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Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.