During Tuesday night’s debate between New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and GOP challenger Lee Zeldin, the two candidates had a fiery exchange on New York’s crime crisis —but Hochul didn’t seem to understand what all the fuss was about.
“We need to make our streets safe again. I’m running to take back our streets, and to support, unapologetically, our men and women in law enforcement,” Zeldin said when asked about his crime policy.
Zeldin also hit Hochul for not believing there was a crime emergency in the Empire State.
Then Hochul dropped one of her worst answers and soundbites of the night.
“Anyone who commits a crime under our laws, especially with the change they made to bail, has consequences. I don’t know why that’s so important to you,” Hochul said, before stating that to reduce crime the state should increase gun control.
“There is no crime-fighting plan if it doesn’t include guns — illegal guns,” she said.
“Unfortunately, Kathy Hochul believes that the only crimes that are being committed are these crimes with guns. And you have people who are afraid of being pushed in front of oncoming subway cars. They’re being stabbed, beaten to death on the street with hammers,” Zeldin hit back.
“Go talk to the Asian-American community and how it’s impacted them with the loss of lives, Jewish people targeted with raw, violent antisemitism on our streets. It just happened, yet again. We need to be talking about all of these other crimes, but instead Kathy Hochul is too busy patting herself on the back,” he added.
Watch the clip above.