Gov. Kathy Hochul was berated by hecklers screaming “tax the rich!” as she took the stage at Zohran Mamdani’s packed “New York is Not For Sale” rally in Queens Sunday night.
The Democratic governor faced the rowdy crowd at the sold-out 13,000-seat Forest Hills Stadium — a get out the vote event headlined by lefty darlings Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders in support of the mayoral frontrunner and Democratic nominee.
Hochul, who had recently endorsed Mamdani for New York City mayor despite previously voicing concerns about his tax-the-rich policies, attempted to stay on message despite the drowning boos and chants.
“Right now, our city and our state and our country are under attack by Donald Trump and our Republicans in Washington,” Hochul said from the stage, where she was flanked by state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
“They’re literally not just taking a wrecking ball to the White House, they are taking a wrecking ball to our values, our people, our progress,” she said.
She continued to rail against the government shutdown, ICE raids in the Big Apple, and the indictment of Attorney General Letitia James.
“Oh, you’re fired up, you’re fired up,” Hochul shot back at the hecklers as they continued to drown out her words.
“Alright. I hear you,” she said, causing the crowd to cheer.
Mamdani has yet to endorse the governor for reelection.
The Democratic socialist said his decision whether to back Hochul would come only after the general election during a mayoral debate against ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who’s running as an independent — and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa earlier this month.
Hochul has previously ripped Mamdani’s plan to impose a 2% income tax on Big Apple residents who make more than $1 million a year and inflate the corporate tax from 7.25% to 11.5%, the same as New Jersey.
When Hocul was asked in a June interview if she backed Mamdani’s plan to tax wealthy New Yorkers and up the corporate tax, she flatly replied, “No.”
“I’m not raising taxes at a time where affordability is the big issue,” Hochul told PIX 11.
Early voting has already begun for the mayoral election ahead of Election Day on Nov. 4.
