about the potential outcome.
Governor Kathy hochul has been
getting a lot of help from some
big Democrat names, former
secretary of state Hillary
Clinton was here just earlier
this week also campaigning for
her.
Vice president Kamala Harris
and tomorrow she will be out in
westchester joined by
president Biden.
>> All right, thank you very
much for that report.
Joining me now is the last
Republican to win the
governorship in New York state,
an office he held for three
terms, former governor George
Pataki.
Thanks for joining us.
It is been about 20 years since
your last elected.
You said earlier this year that
you believe the conditions were
ripe for the same kind of upset
when you got when you break th
E
Mario Cuomo back in 1994.
Why did you say that and how
are things looking now, do you
think?
>> Yes, absolutely.
I felt it months ago and today,
it is even stronger.
There are three overwhelming
issues facing New York.
One is crime.
Kathy hochul has failed on
crime.
The other is taxes.
We are leading the nation in
losing people because the cost
of living in taxes are too high
and then there I
S inflation.
Albany has been on a spending
binge that is helped inflate
all these costs.
You know, I want to be
respectful but I just heard
former president Clinton and he
said we are scared and angry.
That is how new yorkers are.
They are scared about crime and
angry that hochul and Albany
have not done anything about it
so I think this is a nailbiter.
It is clearly the closest race
probably since I got elected
the first time, and anything
can happen
.
>> Wasn't crime much higher in
this country when both you and
Bill Clinton were in office and
it is now?
>> Know.
When I took office, New York
state was the most dangerous
state in America.
When I left office, New York
state was the third safest.
The only states that were safer
were like Utah and south
Dakota, but we have seen that
reversed because the same
policies -- giving criminals
the right to commit crime after
crime without any consequence
or put back in place two years
ago, and new yorkers know that
and they know that hochul
hasn't done anything about it.
I can't tell you the number of
Democrats -- I'm in the city
all of the time and I'm
surrounded by Democrats.
I can't tell you the number of
Democrats who come up to me and
say I've got to vote result in.
We can't go through this
anymore.
I think it's going to be a very
close race but it would not
surprise me if we see this
massive upset result and is the
Victor.
>> Let me bring up another
Clinton you know all too well,
former secretary of state
Hillary Clinton.
She labeled Republicans on this
issue of crime.
Let's listen to what she had to
say.
>> I want to say one word about
this emphasis on crime that we
have seen in every ad that I
have run across from the
Republicans.
I find it ironic, and frankly
disturbing that when Paul Pelosi
is attacked by an intruder in
his own home with a hammer, the
Republicans go silent about
that crime.
>> What's your response to that?
>> I mean, the idea that every
Republican, including New York
candidates have to comment on
an issue there -- we all felt
bad that this happened.
It's horrible for Paul Pelosi,
but the number of victims of
random crime in New York City
and New York state is through
the roof.
I think the message is the
right message.
Selden, and I have talked to
him about this many times, he
is simply going to put in place
many of the policies I had to
put in place when we were the
most dangerous state in
America.
They will work.
They will work in we will have
more confidence.
>> Why do you think New York
will elect
Lee Zeldin when he
supported Donald Trump?
I have to think that you are
uncomfortable with seeing some
of these election did nine
candidates running for public
office around the country.
That is not George Pataki style
politics.
>> Everybody has a different
style of politics but what is
on the ballot is not the 2020
election.
What is on the ballot is are we
can have safe streets?
Are we going to have children
stay here and have an
opportunity in New York?
Are we going to see mass
inflation from borrowing the
way we have seen in Washington?
To me it is looking forward and
I've always tried to look at
the future to see what was best
for New York and for
Republicans, independents and
Democrats, I have no doubt that
electing Zeldin is best for new
York.
>> You think it's a good idea
for trump to announce or
essentially hints that he is
running for president right
around the midterms?
Is that story getting out there
helpful to Republicans like Lee
Zeldin in a place like new
York?
I'm sure he would rather keep
the former president off the TV
screens for a few days.
>> Absolutely.
It is classic trump that it has
to be about him.
It's not about him.
It's about the future of our
states and the future of
America and I just cringe when
he does whatever he can to get
publicity but that is not the
point here.
It is not about trump.
It is about New York and when
you look at New York's future,
there is no question in my mind
without Zeldin we are going to
continue to have unacceptable
rates of crime and continue to
lead the nation in having
people leave the state for
another state and we are going
to see the bright future that
we deserve to have as new
yorkers.
This is a great place, great
city, great state with terrible
policies.