Earlier this evening, Governor Kathy Hochul appeared as a guest on “All In” with Chris Hayes on MS NOW. During the interview, she discussed recent meetings involving herself, the President, and New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani.
Governor Hochul said she was not surprised by the tone of the meeting between the President and the mayor. She stated, “I know the mayor very well. I believe that he demonstrated credible leadership by willing to go into the White House and have this conversation. And so it was probably a lot friendlier than people expected, but they’re both people. I had a sense they both get along in this context, when they’re talking about issues where there’s a common bond and a common interest, which appears to be affordability is something I’ve talked about for a long time.”
She emphasized her willingness to work with anyone focused on reducing living costs in New York: “The mayor has leaned into, in a way that was powerful. And so anyone who wants to work with us, to drive down the cost of living in New York. We’ll have those meetings, we’ll have those conversations and hopefully get things really done.”
When asked about federal intervention in city affairs, Hochul highlighted her previous discussion with the President regarding public safety: “I also had a conversation with the President a few months ago, about it was unnecessary to send the National Guard to New York. Our crime rates are going down. We’ve worked hard on this. Our subways are safer than they’ve been in decades.” She added that there has been no need for federal troops: “You don’t need to send the National Guard in. We have 35,000 sworn members of the NYPD who work hard every day to protect our city. But if we need help, Mr. President, we’ll give you a call.”
Governor Hochul expressed confidence in city leadership and ongoing efforts: “This really important meeting set the tone to let the President know that the city is in good hands…we have a mayor who is vested in its success and keeping people safe and being laser focused on affordability.”
The conversation also addressed political tensions following remarks from Representative Elise Stefanik after Mamdani’s meeting at the White House. When presented with Stefanik’s statement tying her to Mamdani using charged language—”If he walks like a jihadist…he’s Kathy Hochul’s jihadist”—Hochul responded: “She’s full of shit. I’m sorry…this is such an extreme position…She’s even more extreme than Donald Trump.” She further criticized Stefanik for what she described as hateful rhetoric.
On party unity following Mamdani’s primary win, Hochul explained her early endorsement: “For me, it was important to show as the leader of the Democratic Party in the State of New York, this was our Democratic nominee…Because New York City is the economic engine of not just our state, but the entire nation.”
She concluded by reiterating her commitment to working collaboratively with city leaders on housing and family support issues: “We can focus on childcare to help families that are struggling. We can do what we can to drive down utility costs…They’re exhausted…they’re looking for real leadership.”
The interview ended with mutual thanks between Hayes and Governor Hochul.
