New York Gov. Kathy Hochul accused President Donald Trump’s administration Tuesday of withholding $87 million in federal counterterrorism funding from New York, charging that the move threatens public safety as the nation approaches the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Speaking alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a press conference, Hochul said the Department of Homeland Security is holding back a substantial portion of money intended to support the state’s counterterrorism efforts.
“The Department of Homeland Security, the agency created in response to 9/11, is withholding 40% of New York State’s counterterrorism funding,” Hochul asserted.
“That 40% adds up to $87 million,” she said.
Hochul sharply criticized Trump over the funding dispute, accusing the president of “defunding the police” and claiming that he is “endangering public safety to yet again extract revenge on a blue state.”
Addressing Trump directly, Hochul demanded that the administration provide the money she says New York is owed.
“Don’t play political games with people’s lives. Release the $87 million you owe us,” Hochul said to the president.
The governor invoked the approaching anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks as she argued that withholding the counterterrorism funds would amount to abandoning New Yorkers as well as the first responders responsible for protecting them.
“Because if you don’t release the counterterrorism funding, you’re betraying every family that lost someone on 9/11. You’re betraying every police officer and firefighter who puts their lives on the line every single day. And you’re betraying every New Yorker who no longer believes that the federal government is there to protect them,” she said.
Fox News Digital contacted both the White House and the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday seeking responses to the accusations.
Mamdani joined Hochul in criticizing the administration, saying the disputed federal money is essential for New York City’s security and emergency preparedness.
The mayor declared that “the federal government’s refusal to provide $87 million in critical public safety and emergency readiness funding that was promised is so unacceptable.”
Mamdani said the money would support an array of capabilities needed to respond to terrorist attacks and other major emergencies, including bomb squads, FDNY communications and preparations for a possible radiological incident.
“We are talking about the money needed to fully fund 12 bomb squads across New York. We are talking about the money needed to ensure that in the event of a catastrophic attack, the FDNY can communicate internally and respond effectively. And we are talking about making sure that should New Yorkers ever face a radiological threat, our first responders have the training, the equipment and the capabilities they need to respond. To put it simply, there is no excuse for the federal government to leave the nation’s largest city to shoulder this burden alone,” he said.
{Matzav.com}
