On CNN, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) responded to President Trump's comments that he doesn't know if he has to uphold the Constitution, and discussed lessons from the 2024 election.
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00:00Joining us right now is the Democratic governor of New York, Governor Kathy Hochul.
00:03It's good to have you here, Governor. Thank you so much. Let's start there where Mark and
00:07Sarah were talking about the president saying that he does not know if every person on U.S.
00:13soil should be afforded due process under the Constitution. What do you make of that after
00:17hearing the president? He basically said that he doesn't have to follow or even understand
00:22what the Constitution of the United States requires of every person who takes that oath of office.
00:27I took the same oath of office 31 years ago to run for town board. I knew I was supposed to uphold
00:34the Constitution. I got to think a president who took the oath of office not once but twice
00:39understands that there are limitations and that is the body of the Constitution. He must follow it.
00:47Otherwise, the democracy that we fought for and upheld for 250 years is just going to go down
00:52the drain and we're not going to let that happen. But it was shocking and it tells you all you need
00:57to know about this presidency and this man that he doesn't give a damn about the U.S. Constitution.
01:03And that is frightening in itself.
01:05Also overnight, he announced that he wants to put a 100 percent tariff on all films made overseas.
01:13I actually saw, I was looking at the budget that you're rolling out. And as part of the budget,
01:18you're actually expanding tax credits, tax breaks to try to bring more film production to New York.
01:24I mean, while not clear how the president would apply a tariff on intellectual property,
01:30something that's not a physical good, I guess maybe if I can set that aside for a second,
01:34do you like the idea of that?
01:37You know, these midnight ideas that he has or throws out on the table and we're all supposed
01:41to process. I'll tell you what, I am fighting hard for this industry in New York State.
01:45It's an economic driver. It's part of our identity. The talent wants to be in New York. And so
01:50I'm in competition with other states, but indeed other countries. So I'm focused on what I can do
01:55here in the state of New York. I don't know if that leads to retaliatory tariffs in other countries,
02:00because once you start the trade war, who knows where it ends? And right now we're on the bad end
02:06of that war, because if we're talking about everything from children's dolls and toys going
02:11up, it may not be here for Christmas. So that's not what Americans thought they were getting with
02:16this president. These were promises. They were, they did not expect to see upheld. They thought
02:21they're voting for possibly tariffs, but they had no idea that meant when they go to Walmart
02:26this Christmas, the shelves may be empty because of what Donald Trump has done.
02:31Let me play, you mentioned the dolls. Let me play how he said that, just to remind our viewers how
02:37he talked about that when asked, acknowledging the prices would go up. And then he said this,
02:43let me play this for you again. What is your reaction to the president's, the president's
02:48take on that? I heard Mark Short, who's a longtime Republican operative say, this is feels very let
02:53them eat cake at the moment, even hearing that from a Republican. It's so condescending,
02:57condescending on so many levels. But as a mom who has bought dolls for my little girl and my
03:02granddaughter, I mean, come on in the president United States telling you that, oh, you don't need
03:07that. This is a millionaire, maybe billionaire who really knows what his records show, but he has a lot
03:13more money than the average American. It shows a disconnect with the people who voted him into
03:18office, many of them, that he doesn't care. He doesn't care about the families. And this is the
03:23contrast that I'm drawing with the budget that I just unveiled. And so he shows he doesn't care
03:29about them. And I think they're starting to hear this and feel this. And they feel they've been
03:33betrayed. And that's a very overwhelming feeling across the state of New York. People in the North
03:39country who voted for him, people in Long Island who voted for him, who now lost offshore wind jobs.
03:45The North country, our small businesses are saying, why are you at war with Canada? These are our
03:49customers. And now they're not coming to places like Lake George and Saranac Lake. They're not
03:54spending money here because you antagonize one of our best friends in the whole world. So people
03:59across New York who did vote for him, the majority did not. But those who even did, they're like shaking
04:04their heads. What is happening? I want to ask you about the budget, the state budget that you're
04:09rolling out. I've seen it described in more than one place, actually, as providing a possible roadmap
04:13for Democrats far beyond New York in the coming cycle and in the Trump era. You know, not to get
04:20into the weeds of a state budget, but you included measures of increasing public safety and lowering
04:26taxes for all but the wealthy. Do you see success for yourself in the coming election and your party
04:33as I will broad strokes it as moving more towards the center versus the left, which we're seeing
04:39this conversation happen within the Democratic Party? Well, this is not a new movement for me.
04:43I've always found comfortable in the very wide center where I believe that most New Yorkers really
04:48are. And what it does is it provides a blueprint for anyone who really cares about delivering
04:54what the constituents actually want. They want you to focus on two things. Are they and their families
05:00safe? Can you do more to make me feel safer whether I'm on the subway? So I put more police officers
05:05there on our streets, putting more money for gun interdiction up in our rural communities, making
05:11sure that our law enforcement has what they need. You have to feel fundamentally safe. And Democrats
05:15have to talk about that. Don't be afraid to talk about fighting crime.
05:20Do you think that's been a that's one of the misses and lessons from the election?
05:24Well, for many, many years, not not this year, many years. We will protect defendants rights
05:30without a doubt. But I changed the laws. So no longer will people see cases, violent criminals
05:36walking free because there were technical reasons why a case was dismissed. We ended that we're
05:42going to make sure that that does not. So I'm focused on that. But it's also public safety and
05:46the economy. People are worried about prices and their bills. And you see everybody walking around
05:51looking at their cell phone, what their 401k plan is plummeting and turning into, you know,
05:56numbers that they never thought could go that low. It is frightening for New Yorkers. And I think
06:01about the Walmart moms and the people who shop in the big box stores. Like I said, I used to do as a
06:05mom, like you're clutching your coupons, hoping it's enough to get you out of that cash shot without
06:10being embarrassed in front of your kids that you didn't have enough for the groceries that we because
06:14tariffs drove up the prices. So I'm putting money back in people's pockets. $5,000
06:20inflation rebate, $1,000 for kids under the age for $500 for school age. The biggest, as you
06:28mentioned, the biggest tax cut we've had for the middle class in 70 years. It's all about putting
06:33money back in their pockets. And lastly, letting them know I care about their families because their
06:39family is my fight. I'm banning cell phones in all schools so our kids can finally get their
06:44childhood back. So you talk to people about things they understand. You don't give them a 25 point
06:50blueprint on, you know, future energy needs. Just tell it like it is. Talk like a regular
06:55citizen, a regular New Yorker, a regular person, and stop being so condescending ourselves and
07:01talking down to people. This is what they want. You're going to face some competition in your
07:07reelection effort. Her just hurt Elise Stefanik, who was up to be UN ambassador for Trump. Obviously
07:14that did not happen. And she was out just yesterday and had some really harsh words to
07:21say about you, saying you're the worst governor in America. That she dubbed Andrew Cuomo that,
07:26not thinking anyone could do worse. She's clearly, she's exploring a run against you. Are you
07:32concerned? There has been a lot of talk about the growing Republican sentiment in the state of New
07:38York over cycles? Are you concerned about a Republican challenger? No, no. Donald Trump has
07:44made sure that the Republican Party brand is so tainted in New York that no matter who runs against
07:50me, they will have the baggage of explaining why that people's prices went up, why they lost health
07:58care, why they lost Medicaid, why they lost education, all to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest.
08:03I look forward to that fight, no matter who it is. It's not settled yet, but I say, bring it on.
08:10Governor, thanks for coming in. Thank you. It's good to have you here. Thank you.