The following is the transcript of an interview with Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 23, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to Trump’s clash with Democratic governors. Joining us now from Albany, New York, is the governor, Kathy Hochul, good morning to you, Governor.
GOV. KATHY HOCHUL: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I know you were just here in Washington and you met privately with President Trump. In the past, you’ve said the relationship doesn’t have to be adversarial. Was your meeting with him adversarial? And what was your top message?
GOV. HOCHUL: It was an adversarial meeting, but I was very clear, especially after I found that the Trump administration had ended a program that was put in place, congestion pricing, by the duly elected members of our legislature representing the voice of the people, and with a tweet, he claims that he is the king, and therefore he has the power to destroy it. And I have a problem with that characterization, because we labored under a king 250 years ago, and as I said, we’re not going back there. So I wanted to take my case to him directly and let him see the benefits of this program, because our city is paralyzed with gridlock, and we had a path forward to be able to make the city move again, and it’s working. I wanted to just have that opportunity to convey that, but I don’t know that we’re very persuasive on that front, but that’s okay. The people in my state need to know I’m willing to take the fight wherever I have to.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So just to explain for our audience, congestion pricing, you’re talking about this $9 toll you put on people driving into lower Manhattan, below 60th Street. Your fellow Democrat, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, says he doesn’t like this policy, actually asked President Trump to stop it. President Trump’s office says this is discriminatory against working class people. How do you respond to that?
GOV. HOCHUL: I respond this way with all due respect to the state of New Jersey. They do not tell us in New York what to do, nor does Washington when it comes to policies that we believe are going to reduce congestion. Move along vehicles, emergency vehicles are moving faster. Air quality is improving. So I have arguments that are important, but no one else should be able to second guess us, because that’s not how our system of laws and states was set up. I’m the Governor of New York. I will deal with the internal issues before me without interference from New Jersey or indeed, the federal government.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So this is going to the courts.
GOV. HOCHUL: Oh yes, it’s going to the courts, and I believe we will be victorious in the courts, and this program will continue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, this is not the only standoff between the state and federal government, and the tension here, I know you were in Washington with other governors who were meeting with the President this week. Federal funds account for about 40% of your state’s budget. President Trump is threatening to withhold federal funds to governors in order to force compliance with his agenda. Here’s what he said to the governor of Maine. Take a listen.
[VO SOT]
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Is Maine here, the Governor of Maine?
ME GOV JANET MILLS: Yeah, I’m here.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Are you not going to comply with it?
ME GOV JANET MILLS: I’ll comply with the state and federal law.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well I’m — we are the federal law. Well you better do it. You better do it. Because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That was about transgender athletes on girls sports teams. Are you Democratic governors going to start to work together on this? Is there legal pushback?
GOV. HOCHUL: What he is doing is they’ve described it as flooding the zone. They’re attacking California when it comes to FEMA dollars. They’re filing lawsuits in Illinois. They’re going after Maine on this, and they’re coming after programs that have been duly put in place in the state- What they’re trying to do is create this theater of all kinds of activity that is trying to be a distraction to us. And when someone floods the zone in a football game, what you need to have is the defenders be very disciplined, smart, but also stand their ground. And that’s exactly what New York governors, the governor of New York will do in cooperation with our governors. We’re not going to sit idly by and let our rights be attacked. We’ll work with you when there’s common ground, no doubt about it, let’s build great projects and infrastructure. There’s areas where we’re going to work with you on immigration and getting the violent criminals off our streets. We do not dispute that, but don’t think that you can just come in and bully us around and not expect a reaction from governors.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You know that when it comes to your state, there’s been a lot of focus on Manhattan and the Department of Justice because of Eric Adams and the ongoing legal issues he has. In the past week, four deputy mayors resigned. Seven federal prosecutors resigned after the Trump justice department moved to dismiss those five counts of federal corruption indictments against- against Mayor Adams. You know, the allegation is that the dismissal of the charges was in- related to a quid pro quo around immigration compliance. Did you discuss this case at all with the President when you were in the room with him one on one?
GOV. HOCHUL: No, I did not. In fact, it’s- we’re waiting for the decision by a judge on whether he’s going to accept those recommendation for a dismissal. So that’s still in litigation. But I will say this, we are not allowing the Trump administration to interfere in the operations of our city, and the legal problems that the mayor is facing because of the Trump administration, and the phrasing they have used, and indeed, an interview that was done by one of his representatives on national television saying that he’s basically got the mayor under his control. That’s concerning, and I have to be able to put in safeguards. Of course, everyone says I had the option to remove him. I still hold that option to remove him. It is an extraordinary power. And I know there’s a lot of people disappointed and angry and want something done immediately, but I will always stand on the fact that we are a nation of laws, and one individual, the governor of New York, should not use her voice and her will to override the will of the voters. We have an election in a few months for- in a primary, I’m going to let the voters decide, but I’m also going to be very cognizant. I need to keep an eye on this situation, especially the way the Trump administration has telegraphed that they want to get into our operations, and I have to be the firewall to stop that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So having said that, does that mean you do believe there was a quid pro quo understanding with Eric Adams?
GOV. HOCHUL: I am going by what the perception could be. I cannot let the integrity of the administration in the city of New York be undermined by perception that the Trump administration actually created, they created this perception, the reality I will never know, but as long as there’s the faith of New Yorkers that has been undermined by what the Trump administration doing is trying to give the appearance of holding the city hostage, those are what- that’s exactly what they’re trying to do. Again, they’re trying to create chaos. But we have to be smart as Democrats and as leaders and parse through all this and just go do what’s right. That will always be my North Star.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor Hochul, thank you for your time this morning. Face the Nation will be back in one minute. Stay with us.
