New York Mayor Eric Adams stated he does not consider former President Donald Trump to be a fascist, countering allegations from some left-leaning critics who have likened Trump to fascists and even Adolf Hitler.

Adams made his remarks during a New York Police Department headquarters press conference focused on security preparations ahead of Trump’s planned rally at Madison Square Garden, according to Politico.

“I have heard those terms hurled at me by some political leaders in the city, using terms like Hitler and fascist,” Adams said. When asked if he considers Trump a fascist as some, including Vice President Kamala Harris, have suggested, Adams responded, “My answer is no, I know what Hitler has done and I know what a fascist regime looks like.”

Adams went on to defend Trump’s right to hold the New York rally, citing the importance of free speech.

The mayor has previously refrained from the typical party line attacks on Trump, a stance that contrasts with some Democrats, including Harris. Recently, Harris held a press conference in which she directly compared Trump to Hitler, referencing a widely disputed article from The Atlantic.

"Trump's former chief of staff, John Kelly, a retired four-star general, confirmed that while Donald Trump was president, he said he wanted generals like Adolf Hitler had," Harris claimed. 

“It is deeply troubling and incredibly dangerous that Donald Trump would invoke Adolf Hitler, the man who is responsible for the deaths of 6 million Jews and hundreds of thousands of Americans,” she added. 

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also compared Trump to Hitler by claiming his upcoming rally is a “reenactment” of a Nazi rally held in 1939. 

Trump is expected to host the rally in his hometown at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. The rally takes place during the final week of the presidential race and is expected to include a more formal version of closing arguments for his candidacy.