New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Said What About the Importance of Crime? Watch
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) created some shock on Tuesday when she weirdly questioned Republican Lee Zeldin’s emphasis on combatting crime. Crime is one of the big issues in the New York governor’s race.
This took place during a debate Zelda had with Hochul, Zeldin reiterated his pledge to declare a “crime emergency” if elected governor.
“The first day that I’m in the office, I’m going to declare a crime emergency and suspend cashless bail and these other pro-crime laws,” Zeldin said. “My opponent thinks that right now there’s a polio emergency going on but there’s not a crime emergency — different priorities than I’m hearing from people right now.
“Halfway through the debate, she still hasn’t talked about locking up anyone committing any crimes,” he added.
Hochul responded that crimes have consequences in New York — but then she dropped an unforgettable line.
“I don’t know why that’s so important to you,” she said of crime issues. “All I know is that we can do more.”
Zelda had already made the case that Hochul was not offering an actual plan to combat crime in the Empire State. Instead, she was only focusing on limiting Second Amendment rights.
“Kathy Hochul believes that the only crimes being committed are crimes with guns,” Zeldin said. “You have people who are afraid to be pushed in front of oncoming subway cars, they’re being stabbed, beaten to death on the street with hammers.”
“Talk to the Asian-American community and how it’s impacted them with the loss of lives, Jewish people targeted with raw, violent anti-Semitism on our streets — it just happened yet again,” he continued. “We need to be talking about all of these other crimes, but instead, Kathy Hochul is busy patting herself on the back, job well done. No, actually.”
It’s hard to imagine why Hochul would seem to downplay crime. The most recent poll from Quinnipiac found that crime is the most important issue to New York voters, even overshadowing inflation and economic woes.
Watch:
Kathy Hochul's response to me tonight when I spoke about how we need to lock up criminals:
"I don’t know why that's so important to you"?
NYers are getting beaten, slashed, stabbed, and pushed in front of subway cars every day, yet @KathyHochul still can't address crime in NY. pic.twitter.com/rXvGH6XuKd
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) October 26, 2022