Hochul tells Trump to 'stop threatening us' in exclusive one-on-one with NY governor

NEW YORK - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul sat down for an exclusive interview with FOX 5 NY's political reporter Morgan McKay.

McKay discussed several plans Hochul proposed during her recent State of the State, as well as the possibility of raising taxes for New Yorkers.

***You can watch the full interview above and on Friday night. Each week on Politics Unusual, FOX 5 NY political reporter Morgan McKay breaks down the week's biggest local and national political headlines. Tune in at 6:30 p.m. Fridays on FOX 5 and FOX LOCAL New York, and watch full episodes on the FOX LOCAL app and our YouTube page.

1:1 with Hochul

What they're saying:

McKay began the interview by inquiring about aspects of Hochul's proposed agenda from her 2026 State of the State address earlier this week.

One proposal the governor mentioned was restricting AI-generated content, especially in regard to political advertisements.

"People need to be able to trust what they see and what they hear, especially in elections," Hochul confirmed to McKay.

When asked how the state would go about enforcing any such restriction, the governor replied that the Board of Elections would be involved.

A major theme of the address was the Trump administration, specifically their push for stronger enforcement on immigration. During her address, Hochul proposed legislation that would allow New Yorkers to sue federal officers for any potential violations of their constitutional rights.

"I want New Yorkers to have a private right of action where they can at least go to court… That's the American way."

The governor also referenced the New York City Council employee who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents earlier this week. 

"The abuse of power has been so blatant… It hurts people's confidence in all law enforcement. This undermines the NYPD, and our state police, who are just doing their jobs."

Hochul did add, however, that she does not agree with those calling for the defunding of ICE overall.

McKay followed up the conversation with President Donald Trump's latest calls to cut federal funding to sanctuary cities, including New York City, as soon as next month.

"Just stop threatening us," Hochul said, referring to the president's comments.

And in regard to potentially raising taxes on New Yorkers?

"We have enough revenue to support our state… I don't see a justification."

The backstory:

Born in Buffalo in 1958, Hochul attended Syracuse University and earned a law degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. 

After leaving Congress, she briefly worked in the private sector before joining former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's campaign, serving as Lieutenant Governor of New York until he announced his resignation in 2021.

Hochul then ran to retain her position after finishing out Cuomo's term; she won the gubernatorial election in 2022, beating out Rep. Lee Zeldin and making her the first female elected governor of New York.

What we know:

Hochul delivered her 2026 State of the State address earlier this week, where she outlined an agenda that focused on affordability, public safety and families, including proposals to protect kids online, expand universal child care and crack down on illegal guns.

Among the proposals Hochul highlighted were new measures aimed at protecting children online, including legislation designed to shield kids from predators, scammers and harmful AI chatbots by strengthening age-verification requirements and default privacy settings on digital platforms.

Hochul is also expected to push new gun safety proposals targeting 3D-printed and other illegal firearms, including tougher criminal penalties, expanded reporting requirements for law enforcement and new safety standards for manufacturers.

The cost of Hochul’s proposals has not been determined. 

Details are expected to be released when the governor unveils her executive budget.

The other side:

Hochul is currently running for reelection as governor of New York. New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado will square off against her in the Democratic primary.

Rep. Elise Stefanik announced that she would run in the gubernatorial race as well, before suspending her campaign in December of last year.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman threw his hat in the ring shortly before Stefanik bowed out, and received an endorsement from President Donald Trump less than two weeks later.

Local perspective:

Hochul endorsed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sept. 14, 2025, less than two months before New Yorkers went to the polls.

One week after Mamdani was elected mayor, the pair met to discuss strategies to protect New York in a situation where President Donald Trump cuts federal funding or deploys federal forces to the city.

Recently, Trump proposed the idea once again, informing people that his administration will cease federal payments to sanctuary cities and any states with sanctuary policies as soon as Feb. 1.

The two also spoke about child care in the city.

Mamdani also traveled to Albany to attend Hochul's recent State of the State, which marked his first official visit to the Capitol since taking office. 

Big picture view:

Hochul has opposed the Trump administration's handling of immigration for months.

In August 2025, she posted a statement in response to ICE deporting a mother and daughter from Queens to Ecuador.

The governor also recently proposed legislation that would allow New Yorkers to sue federal officers for any potential violations of their constitutional rights.

Support for food assistance programs was another battle between the governor and the president. Hochul declared a state of emergency regarding the Trump administration’s decision to halt food assistance for three million New Yorkers in October 2025.

One week later, Hochul announced that New York state agencies would issue full federal SNAP benefits for the following month.