Kathy Hochul demands $87 million in withheld counterterrorism funding from the administration

Hochul claimed the administration is defunding the police and endangering public safety to seek revenge on a blue state. She noted that the York State received an 86% reduction in its annual allocation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Homeland Security Grant Program as part of cost-cutting efforts. However, President Trump previously pledged to restore full funding to his former home state. Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined Hochul to state that the federal government's refusal to provide the promised $87 million is unacceptable. Mamdani explained that the funds are needed to fully fund 12 bomb squads across New York and to ensure the FDNY can communicate effectively during a catastrophic attack. The funding has previously helped New York pay for National Guard members to patrol subways and to harden the security of houses of worship.