♪
>> THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT CRIME
WITHIN OUR STREETS, YOU LOOK AT
WHAT HAPPENED TO LEE ZELDIN,
THAT’S A DIRECT EFFECT OF WHAT
THE DEMOCRATIC POLICIES ARE ARE.
IT’S THE DEFUND POLICE, BUT WHAT
CAN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DO
THE?
WE PROVIDE A LOT OF COP GRANTS,
BUT IF WE ARE IN THE MAJORITY,
COP GRANTS WOULD SAY YOU CANNOT
HAVE THEM UNLESS YOUR D.A.
UPHOLDS THE LAW.
IF IT’S NOT -- IF IT’S PICKING
AND CHOOSING, IF IT’S DOING
CASHLESS ARE BAIL, YOU CANNOT
GET IT.
THE EXACT SAME THING THAT RONALD
REAGAN DID WHEN HE RAISED THE
DRINKING AGE FROM 18 TO 21.
MARIA: AND THAT WAS HOUSE GOP
LEADER KEVIN McCARTHY ON THIS
PROGRAM LAST MONTH ON THE
DEVASTATING IMPACT DEMOCRATS’
SOFT ON CRIME POLICIES ARE
HAVING ON COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY INCLUDING AN ATTACK ON
CONGRESSMAN AND NEW YORK
GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE LEE
ZELDIN.
IN NEW YORK STATE ALONE, THERE
HAS BEEN A 9% INCREASE IN
VIOLENT CRIME SINCE BAIL REFORM
WENT INTO EFFECT AT THE START OF
2020, AND THEN IN NEW YORK CITY
OVERALL MAJOR CRIME IS UP NEARLY
37% FROM THERE JUST A YEAR AGO.
JOINING ME RIGHT NOW, THE MAN
HIMSELF, NEW YORK DEMOCRAT --
LOOKING TO UNSEAT KATHY HOCHUL
IN NOVEMBER, LEE ZELDIN IS HERE.
MAN, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE THIS MORNING --
CONGRESSMAN.
>> IT’S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU,
MARIA.
MARIA: I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE
ON HOW THIS CHANGED SO
DRAMATICALLY IN NEW YORK FROM
THE SAFE STREETS WE HAD A DECADE
AGO.
AND, FIRST, GIVE US YOUR SENSE
OF WHERE THAT STARTED AND HOW
AND I ALSO WANT TO HEAR ABOUT
THE ATTACK THAT YOU FACED JUST A
FEW WEEKS AGO.
>> AFTER THE 2018 ELECTION, NEW
YORK ENDED UP WITH ONE-PARTY
DEMOCRAT RULE.
THEY ENACTED CASHLESS BAIL IN
THE STATE, MAKING SURE THAT A
LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SHOULD STAY
BEHIND BARS ENDED UP BACK OUT ON
THE STREETS.
YOU’VE HAD THIS SITUATION WHERE
JUDGES WANTED TO BE ABLE TO KEEP
SOMEONE BEHIND BARS, BUT THE LAW
IN NEW YORK FORCED THEM TO
RELEASE PEOPLE EVEN IF THE JUDGE
KNEW THAT PERSON WAS A DANGER TO
THE COMMUNITY.
WE SAW OTHER CHANGES THAT WERE
ENACTED AS WELL.
SOMETHING CALLED THE LESS IS
MORE ACT WHERE PEOPLE GOT
RELEASED EARLIER, IT WAS AN
EARLIER END TO PRISON SENTENCES
WHERE PEOPLE BEFORE WOULD HAVE
REMAINED BEHIND BARS, SOMETHING
CALLED THE HALT ACT GOT ENACTED
WHERE NOW OUR CORRECTIONS
OFFICERS ARE BEING ASSAULTED ALL
ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE.
THOSE NUMBERS ARE ON THE RISE AS
WELL.
LOSING OUT ON THE TOOL OF
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.
SO THE PRO-CRIMINAL PUSH WITH
THE LAWS HAS BEEN A KEY IMPACT,
BUT THEN IT’S COMPOUNDED WHEN
YOU HAVE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS LIKE
THE MANHATTAN D. THE A., ALVIN
BRAGG, REFUSING TO ENFORCE LAWS
ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND YOU ALSO HAVE SOME JUDGES
WHO ARE FAR LEFT AND LAX WHERE
THEY’RE RELEASING PEOPLE EVEN
WHEN THEY DO HAVE THE
DISCRETION.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO READ ABOUT
IT, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT GOLDMAN
SACHS EMPLOYEE MURDERED ON A NEW
YORK CITY SUBWAY.
PROSECUTOR IN THAT CASE ASKED
FOR BAIL, BUT THAT PERSON PUT --
JUDGE PUT THAT PERSON BACK IN
THE STREET.
IT HAPPENED AGAIN THIS WEEK, A
QUEENS JUDGE WHO THE PROSECUTOR
ASKED FOR BAIL IN THE CASE, THE
LAX JUDGE RELEASED HIM.
SO THESE THREE PARTS COMPOUNDED
TOGETHER IS CAUSING A RISE OF
CRIME IN NEW YORK CITY,
PROROCHESTER, SYRACUSE AND SOME
OTHER PLACES.
MARIA: SO THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF
BAD POLICY.
AND THEY ALWAYS SAY BAD POLICY
EQUALS BAD OUTCOMES.
THESE POLICIES HAVE MADE OUR
STREETS LESS SAFE.
TELL ME ABOUT THE INCIDENT THAT
HAPPENED WITH YOU.
YOU WERE AT THE PODIUM, YOU WERE
AT THE MICROPHONE AT A CAMPAIGN
EVENT.
YOU AND YOUR TEAM IMMEDIATELY
THRUST INTO OFFICE, YOU WERE SO
COURAGEOUS TO TAKE ON THIS GUY
WHO HAD A BLUNT OBJECT IN HIS
HAND TRYING TO STAB YOU.
>> RIGHT.
AND I’M REALLY GRATEFUL THAT
THERE WERE SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT
PEOPLE WHO VERY QUICKLY SUBDUED
THIS GUY.
AND WITHIN 5, 6 HOURS, HE WAS
RELEASED BACK OUT ON STREET
BECAUSE OF NEW YORK’S CASHLESS
BAIL LAWS.
WE HAD THIS INCIDENT ABOUT A
MONTH AGO, I WAS ACTUALLY, BY
THE WAY, ON THAT STAGE TALKING
ABOUT THE NEED TO REPEAL
CASHLESS BAIL TO REMOVING
DISTRICT ATTORNEYS LIKE ALVIN
BRAGG REFUSING TO ENFORCE THE
LAW ACROSS THE BOARD.
I HAD JUST PUT OUT OUR FIRST
CAMPAIGN AD FOR THE GENERAL
ELECTION TALKING ABOUT THE NEED
TO REPEAL CASHLESS BAIL.
WE’VE I ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT
THE JOSE HALL -- ALBA CASE WHERE
HE GETS STABBED, A LAW-ABIDING
CITIZEN, HE ENDS UP WITH A
MURDER CHARGE.
THE PERSON WHO STABBED HIM ENDED
UP NOT GETTING CHARGED WITH
ANYTHING.
BUT IN MY CASE, IT WAS JULY 21ST
WHEN THAT ATTACKER CAME TO ME ON
STAGE, RELEASED RIGHT BACK OUT
ON THE STREET.
ONLY REASON WHY THE U.S.
ATTORNEY WAS ABLE TO JUMP IN AND
CHARGE HIM FEDERALLY WAS BECAUSE
I’M A MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
BUT IF I’M NOT A MEMBER OF
CONGRESS, THAT PERSON ISN’T
DETAINED.
AND ON TOP OF IT, THANK FRIDAY
BECAUSE WE’RE AT -- THANK MY
BECAUSE WE’RE AT A CAMPAIGN
EVENT, YOU HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE
TAKING VIDEO.
JUST LIKE IN THE JOSE ALBA CASE,
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO, OR YOU END
UP WITH MUCH LESS DESIRED
OUTCOMES AS FAR AS THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM GOES.
MARIA: THE VIDEO, IT WAS
ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE WHAT
HAPPENED TO YOU.
THAT VIDEO IS REALLY STRIKING.
BUT, LOOK, ALL OF THIS GOING ON,
YOU’VE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT
SHOULD YOU WIN NEW YORK
GOVERNOR’S RACE, YOU ARE GOING
TO END CASHLESS BAIL.
YOU’VE SAID THAT TO ME MANY
TIMES.
SHOULDN’T YOU BE POLLING BETTER
IN NEW YORK CITY?
LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS,
CONGRESSMAN, FOR THE NEW YORK
GOVERNOR POLL AMONG WOMEN
VOTERS, YOU’RE ACTUALLY TRAILING
KATHY HOCHUL.
YOU ALSO HAVE AN ISSUE TRAILING
HER AMONG HISPANIC VOTERS.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO TRY TO
CLOSE THE GAP HERE, AND WHY DO
YOU THINK YOU’RE TRAILING HER
WITH THESE TWO GROUPS?
>> SO OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK CITY,
THE REST OF STATE, WE’RE
WINNING.
THE NEW YORK CITY SUBURBS,
UPSTATE IS, WE’RE WINNING.
INDEPENDENT VOTERS THE TOP TWO
ISSUES IS CRIME AND THE ECONOMY.
INSIDE NEW YORK CITY WE JUST
HAVE TO KEEP CAMPAIGNING HARD
THESE LAST THREE MONTHS TO GET
OUR NUMBERS UP.
WE LIKE WHERE WE ARE, BUT WE
HAVE TO WORK HARD.
YOU CAN’T -- AND THIS IS NOT
JUST IN NEW YORK, IT’S ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
PEOPLE OUT THERE, THEY THINK
THERE’S GOING TO BE A RED WAVE
AND WE’RE JUST GOING TO RIDE A
WAVE IN.
NO, YOU HAVE TO CREATE THE WAVE.
YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD, TAKING
NOTHING FOR GRANTED AS WE ARE
BATTLING PERCENT HEART AND SOUL
OF THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY AND
OUR STATE CAP TOLLS.
WE’RE GOING -- CAPITOLS.
WE’RE GOING TO DO THE MUCH
BETTER WITH THE ASIAN-AMERICAN
VOTE, WITH THE BLACK VOTE, WE
ARE WORKING WITH THESE
COMMUNITIES CLOSELY.
THIS PAST WEEK FROM BRONX TO
QUEENS, NEW YORK CITY, IN
MANHATTAN TO BROOKLYN, THOSE
FOUR BOROUGHS WHICH ARE HEAVILY
BLUE, WE’VE BEEN WITH ALL THESE
COMMUNITIES.
THEY CARE ABOUT CRIME AND PUBLIC
SAFETY, WE HAVE TO WORK HARD TO
GET OUR MESSAGE OUT.
AND FOR WOMEN VOTERS OUT THERE,
THEY CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY AND
SECURITY OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR
FAMILY, THEY CARE ABOUT ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY, PRESERVING FREEDOM,
HAVING A GOVERNMENT THEY CAN BE
PROUD OF AND THEIR KIDS’
EDUCATION.
IT’S JUST IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF
US EVERYWHERE TAKING NOTHING FOR
GRANTED, WORKING HARD FOR THIS.
MARIA: WELL, AND THEY ALSO,
WOMEN VOTERS, CARE ABOUT THEIR
SCHOOLS FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
AND THE NEW YORK TEACHERS’ UNION
HAS BEEN GETTING REAL POLITICAL
IN TERMS OF POLITICS AND
ELECTIONS.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT
THE UNION AND INSURING THAT YOU
CAN GET SOME SUPPORT THERE?
>> LISTEN, PEOPLE WHO ARE
RUNNING TEACHERS’ UNIONS,
THEY’RE DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVES IN
NEW YORK.
WE HAVE A LOT ARE OF GREAT
TEACHERS.
WE HAVE PEOPLE -- AND, HANK GOD
THEY’RE WILLING TO TAKE ON THE
ASSIGNMENT OF TEACHING IN SOME
OF THE WORST PERFORMING SCHOOLS
IN NEW YORK.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE STUCK IN
GENERATIONAL POVERTY IN POOR
PERFORMING SCHOOLS.
THAT’S WHY WE NEED TO LIFT THE
CAP ON CHARTER SCHOOLS,
EDUCATIONAL SAVINGS ACCOUNTS,
TAX CREDITS FOR SCHOOL CHOICE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT TECH
CL EDUCATION INSIDE OF OUR
SCHOOLS -- THE RIGHT NOW IN
ALBANY WE’RE SEEING ATTACKS
ONION PUBLIC EDUCATION.
SOMETHING THEY CALL A
SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENCY PUSH.
SO KATHY HOCHUL’S NOT SPEAKING
UP ON BEHALF OF OUR KIDS.
INSTEAD, SHE’S DOING WHAT THE
TEACHERS’ UNION IS DEMANDING OF
HER.
BUT MOST OF US, WE’RE NEW
YORKERS AND ESPECIALLY NEW YORK
PARENTS, I’M ONE OF THEM, WE
HAVE TO FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE OF
OUR KIDS’ EDUCATION.
MARIA: ALL RIGHT, CONGRESSMAN.
IT’S GOOD TO HAVE YOU THIS
MORNING.
VERY QUICKLY, YOU SAID YOUR
NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS WHAT
SHOULD YOU BECOME GOVERNOR OF
NEW YORK?
>> WELL, CRIME.
PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE HAVE TO FIGHT THIS.
THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO AFTER
TAKING THE OHS IS TELLING
MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY,
ALVIN BRAGG, THAT HE’S GETTING
FIRED.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE
FOR THIS PUSH THAT’S TURNING OUR
STREETS OVER TO CRIMINALS.
WE NEED TO PUT LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND LAW-ABIDING NEW YORKERS BACK
IN CONTROL OF OUR STREETS AND TO
OUR FUTURE.
MARIA: OKAY.
CONGRESSMAN, GOOD TO SEE YOU
THIS MORNING.
THANKS VERY MUCH.
WE WILL BE WATCHING