New York Gov. Kathy Hochul calls Trump supporters ‘clowns’ in her own 'basket of deplorables' moment
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called Trump supporters “clowns" on Thursday during a media appearance ahead of the former president’s New York City rally in the Bronx.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appeared to call Trump supporters "clowns" on Thursday during a media appearance ahead of the former president’s New York City rally in the Bronx.
"Well, I’ll tell you what won’t make a difference at all, Jake, and that’s for Donald Trump to be a ringleader and invite all his clowns to a place like the Bronx," ochul told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
She continued, "New York will never, ever support Donald Trump for president. We know him better than anyone and that means we understand what he’s all about. He’s just for himself. So, this state will go solidly behind Joe Biden for president as it has in the past. So, if he wants to spend his time doing these made-up, fake rallies and pretending there’s support here, be my guest, because while you’re doing that, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s out there on the other side making sure he’s delivering for all Americans."
In response to Hochul's comments, the Trump campaign told Fox News Digital: "Kathy Hocul is just upset that President Trump is pulling crowds in her state that she could only dream of; and Democrats are in disarray because Americans, including Hispanics and Blacks, are waking up to the fact that Joe Biden and the Democrat Party have been using them for votes and ripping them off for decades."
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Trump, who has been in the state recently for his hush money trial, has said he thinks he has a good chance of winning the state in November despite the fact that it hasn’t voted Republican since 1984.
A recent Siena College poll showed President Biden with just a nine-point lead over Trump (47% to 38%) in the state. Biden won the state handily in 2020 with 60.8%.
"Kathy Hochul has once again revealed her true colors, disparaging millions of New Yorkers and demonstrating a shocking level of intolerance and disdain for a significant portion of our state's population. This follows her appalling recent remarks labeling Catholics as 'right-wing extremists' and her suggestion that Black kids have never seen a computer before," David Laska, director of communications for the New York GOP, told FOx News Digital.
He continued, "It’s time for Governor Hochul to apologize to the hardworking citizens she continues to alienate with her elitist, offensive rhetoric. The people of New York deserve a leader who respects their diversity of thought and beliefs and who is committed to working for everyone, not just those who align with her political views."
Two years ago, Hochul also raised the ire of Republicans when she told GOP candidates in the state to "get out of town" and "head to Florida" where they belong.
"We're here to say that the era of Trump and Zeldin and Molinaro — just jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong. Get out of town," Hochul said in 2022. "You don't represent our values."
The comments reminded some of Former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's infamous "basket of deplorables" comments from a New York fundraiser in 2016.
"You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right?" Clinton said at the time. "The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic — you name it. And unfortunately, there are people like that. And he has lifted them up."
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Hochul's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.