President Donald Trump sharply criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul during a campaign-style appearance on Long Island Friday, accusing her and the “radical left” of driving New York into decline while confidently predicting that Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman will win this year’s election.
Trump made the remarks at the Nassau County Police Academy, where he joined Blakeman, the county executive, to highlight newly released FBI statistics showing a significant nationwide decline in violent crime compared with the previous year.
Addressing an enthusiastic audience of law enforcement officers and supporters, Trump warned that progressive policies were pushing American cities toward disorder and violence.
“And then the death comes, and it becomes really a true hell hole,” he said, before adding, “It’s not going to happen to New York, New York state. That’s why we got to get Bruce into office.”
Trump argued that Blakeman should have a clear path to victory given the policies adopted by Hochul and other Democratic leaders in New York, particularly the state’s 2020 cashless bail law.
“How the hell can you lose to that? If you lose, you’ll be ashamed for the rest of your life,” he told Blakeman.
Recent polling suggests the race has tightened. A Siena College survey conducted in early August found Hochul leading Blakeman by 10 percentage points, 49% to 39% among likely voters.
The poll also indicated that Blakeman is outperforming where Republican Lee Zeldin stood at a similar point in the 2022 campaign. Zeldin ultimately lost to Hochul by six percentage points in one of the closest gubernatorial races for a Republican in New York in decades.
Trump’s Long Island visit came as Blakeman and other Republicans intensified their criticism of Democratic leadership ahead of November’s election, arguing that the party’s leftward shift could alienate suburban and swing voters.
While New York City’s Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani has become a central target for many Republicans, Trump mentioned him only briefly, drawing boos from the crowd.
Instead, the President repeatedly focused his criticism on Hochul, accusing her of being weak on crime because of her support for cashless bail and New York’s sanctuary-state policies, which limit cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities.
“Hochul and the radical left stand with the gang members, child predators, violent felons. We stand with hardworking New Yorkers,” Trump said.
“She thinks the sanctuary cities are wonderful, which are killing our country,” he added.
Although Trump and Hochul frequently criticize one another publicly, they have occasionally praised their ability to work together on specific projects, including the redevelopment of Penn Station.
Before Trump’s remarks, Blakeman touted Nassau County’s partnership with federal immigration authorities, saying it has contributed to the county’s public safety.
“Nassau County has the most comprehensive agreement with ICE in the United States of America. In one year, we removed 2,000 illegal migrants with criminal records ranging from attempted murder, rape, murder, robbery… drug dealers,” he said.
Trump was joined during the visit by Blakeman, Attorney General Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel, who grew up in nearby Garden City. The group toured Nassau County’s police training facility before the rally.
Speaking to the law enforcement audience, Trump praised Blakeman for expanding the county’s police force by more than 700 officers.
The crowd also applauded loudly when Trump called for imposing the death penalty on those convicted of murdering police officers. Introducing Blakeman, the President described him as a longtime friend and added, “He’s a winner.”
Ahead of Trump’s appearance, Hochul sought to counter expected criticism by posting crime statistics on X showing significant declines in several major categories.
According to the figures she shared, shooting deaths have fallen by 62%, murders are down 57%, and overall crime has decreased by 10%.
“Here are the facts: Crime rates are continuing to drop across the state,” Hochul wrote.
