Trump called New York Gov. Kathy Hochul a “nightmare for crime” before a live crowd.
President Donald Trump unloaded on Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul at a public event on August 14th, accusing her of releasing dangerous criminals and illegal aliens back onto the streets through policies he said prioritize offenders over the public.
Trump made the remarks at the Nassau County Police Academy in Garden City, where he promoted his administration’s crime agenda and threw his support behind Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman. Blakeman, currently the Nassau County executive, has built his campaign around public safety and cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in his race against Hochul.
Special offer for our readers:
Hands Down Some Of The Best Credit Cards For 2026
“Nowhere is the communist attack on American society more clear than here in New York State,” Trump told the crowd. “The radical-left governor, Kathy Hochul, has been very, very bad on crime, a nightmare for crime.”
Trump zeroed in on the state’s cashless-bail system, tracing its origins to former Governor Andrew Cuomo. “Remember that? That was a Cuomo beauty, right?” he said. He argued the policy creates a revolving door for violent offenders. “Just think of it, no cash. You kill somebody, you rob a store, you go right back out on the streets,” Trump said. “It is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”
As originally reported, footage posted by the White House Rapid Response account showed Trump telling the audience, “I love this place, but it gets harder to love. It really does.”
Trump also accused Hochul of weakening supervision of convicted felons and supporting the release of individuals convicted of killing New York City police officers. “These are absolute killers. And you’re not going to change them,” he said. “You got to get them the hell out, or you got to put them away. And if you don’t do that, you’re just wasting a lot of time.”
He then turned his fire toward state spending on legal representation for illegal aliens. “She spent millions and millions of dollars providing taxpayer-funded lawyers to illegal aliens,” Trump said. He added a pointed contrast, saying that law-abiding residents without legal trouble were not offered the same assistance, while illegal aliens received, in his words, “very good” lawyers at public expense.
Trump pivoted to Blakeman directly during the speech, joking that Hochul’s record should make the election straightforward for the Republican. “Bruce, how the hell can you lose to that?” he said. “You’re going to be ashamed. If you lose, you’re going to be ashamed for the rest of your life.”
He framed his own political outlook as rooted less in ideology than in practicality. “I guess I’m a conservative guy,” Trump said, “but I’m a common-sense guy more than a conservative guy.” Blakeman has made federal immigration cooperation and public safety the twin pillars of his challenge to Hochul’s incumbency.
