Kathy Hochul, New York Governor, claimed challenger Lee Zeldin was “hyperventilating” over the issue of rising crime — only two hours after two subway riders were stabbed. One of the individuals stabbed was a good Samaritan, who stepped in when he saw a woman getting harassed.
At a campaign stop in Manhattan, Hochul downplayed Zeldin’s criticism of former President Bill Clinton and her for “laughing and joking about subway crimes” at an event on Saturday.
“I say: check the source,” the governor told reporters outside the West 72nd Street subway station. “He has been hyperventilating, trying to scare people for months, and New Yorkers are onto it. All the legitimate media organizations have called him out for what he is doing, fear-mongering.”
Hochul added, “And I’m not even talking about the statistics; you can check it out yourself.”
The Democrat governor’s comments followed two underground attacks in the Bronx. During one attack, a 44-year-old man was stabbed in his neck after arguing with another rider on a platform. In the other attack, a 54-year-old man was stabbed in the elbow when he jumped to the aid of a woman being harassed on a southbound train just as it pulled into the 149th Street-Grand Concourse station at 9 p.m.
Statistics show subway killings at the highest levels in two decades
According to NYPD statistics, killings in the subway system are at the highest level this year in over two decades, while ridership continues to be well-below levels seen pre-pandemic.
Meanwhile, Hochul has continued to push for gun control when challenged on rising crime in New York City and other locations. Hochul insisted, “Democratic states are safer than the Republican states” and promoted recent safety measures in the subway system.
“The solution is the state, for the first time ever, is deploying state officers into the subways. We have cameras on the trains. We’re helping people with severe mental health problems to get them off the trains because they can do harm to themselves or others.”
Hochul continued, “So, all I’m saying is I understand the fear is out there but fanning the flames of fear to get people terrified is another story.”
During the appearance, Hochul bought tamales from a street vendor, then mingled with voters in a diner before heading to another location with elected Democrat officials. While leaving the event, Hochul seemed to be caught off-guard when a reporter asked about the subway driver who was stabbed in the neck.
“I couldn’t hear,” said Hochul as aides quickly hustled the governor into a waiting SUV. The governor did not take questions.
Governor Hochul, a native of Buffalo and former lieutenant governor, took the top state position when former Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned last year amidst a sexual harassment scandal.
