A former mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, is firing back at CNN’s New Year’s Eve co-host, Andy Cohen, who mocked him on air. 

Mr. Adams criticized Mr. Cohen for  “another drunken rant” and advised him to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and “seek help.”

Mr. Cohen — best known for his role as emcee of the “Real Housewives” franchise on rival media company NBCUniversal — has co-hosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve program with CNN star Anderson Cooper since the last night of 2017,  when Mr. Cohen replaced comedian Kathy Griffin after she was canceled for allegedly threatening President Trump. 

Traditionally, CNN’s New Year’s Eve show has involved the hosts drinking outside in the cold, and Mr. Cohen usually gets visibly drunk. As the night went on this past Wednesday, Mr. Cohen at one point declared that he and his co-hosts (this year he and Mr. Cooper were joined by “The Office” star BJ Novack) were “transitioning into drunkards.” Shortly after midnight, Mr. Cohen launched into an apparently booze-fueled rant about Mr. Adams.

“Watching the final moments of Mayor Adams’ chaotic, horrible [term],” he said as he seemed to slur his words. He said it was “great” that Mr. Adams “got [his] pardons” and then urged him to “go off in the sunset” and “dance away.” The comment about pardons seemed to reference the Department of Justice’s decision to drop charges against Mr. Adams. A judge dismissed the case “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be brought again. However, President Trump did not pardon him. 

Mr. Adams fired back on X, writing “My response to @Andy : AA.”

“Another sloppy drunken rant. If anyone actually cares about him, they’ll tell him to get help. New Yorkers aren’t laughing with him. They are concerned about him. Public intoxication is a disease. He should seek help,” the former mayor said. “He was safe in Times Square because we did our job. Again. Seek help. AAA: Andy’s Alcohol Anonymous.”

While Mr. Cohen celebrated Mr. Adams’s departure, Mr. Cooper and comedian BJ Novak tried to stop him.

Mr. Cooper interjected, “No … don’t! I’m out … No. Sweetie…”

As Mr. Cohen plowed ahead, Mr. Cooper said, “He can’t help himself.”

Mr. Novak quipped, “Andy, we need to cut you off.”

Mr. Cohen said, “Goodbye, Mayor Adams! You did it! You did it, you did it, didn’t you?”

He ended his diatribe saying that Mr. Adams had put a “dent” into the population of rats in the city, adding, “Isn’t that a metaphor of sorts?”

Hours before the New Year’s Eve program, Mr. Cohen responded to an X user who asked, “Will there be tequila shots tonight?”

“YES! TEQUILA TONIGHT!!!! #CNNNYE,” he responded. 

On Thursday evening, Mr. Cohen wrote on X, “Boy was last night FUN! Thanks for watching!!!!”

Four years ago, Mr. Cohen delivered a similar New Year’s Eve rant celebrating the end of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s time in office. 

“Sayonara, sucker! 2022! It’s a new year, because guess what? I have a feeling I’m going to be standing right here next year, and you know who I’m not going to be looking at, dancing as the city comes apart? You!’” Mr. Cohen said of Mr. de Blasio’s departure from office.

The next day, Mr. Cohen posted on Instagram that he was “a bit overserved.”

Representatives for Mr. Cohen did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment by the time of publication.