NY governor debate: Zeldin, Hochul clash on crime
Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin went back and forth over crime during a Spectrum News NY1 debate on Tuesday.
Prominent conservative Twitter users ripped into New York Gov. Kathy Hochul during her debate with Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin after comments she made on crime and COVID vaccine mandates for children.
During the primetime Tuesday debate, Zeldin and Hochul tangled on crime in the state, with Hochul on multiple occasions appearing to dismiss her opponent’s focus on soft-on-crime policies, such as cashless bail and repeat offenses, labeling them a political scare tactic.
"This governor, who still to this moment, what are we halfway through the debate? She still hasn’t talked about locking up anyone committing any crimes," Zeldin said at one point.
"Anyone who commits a crime under our laws, especially with the change we made to bail, has consequences. I don’t know why that’s so important you. All I know is that we could do more. We could do more," Hochul said.
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She then called for a state or nationwide ban on "assault weapons" getting into the hands of teenagers.
At another point during the debate, both candidates were asked about whether they would mandate a COVID vaccine for children.
Zeldin said he would never mandate the vaccine for children, while Hochul simply said, "Not at this time."
Critics of Hochul took issue with the incumbent’s responses on crime, vaccines and her overall debate performance.
"‘I don’t know why that’s so important to you.’ With that quote, Kathy Hochul showed exactly why she doesn’t deserve to be elected to a full term as governor. Rep. Lee Zeldin had asked why Hochul hadn’t talked about locking up people who commit crimes…" the Detective’s Endowment Association’s official Twitter account said.
"Kathy Hochul doesn’t know why putting dangerous career criminals in jail is important. That’s exactly why she should not be governor," New York congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis similar tweeted.
Andrew H. Giuliani, a former candidate for New York governor, slammed Hochul for referring to crime concerns as "fear-mongering or demagoguery," asserting that rising crime is based on data.
Former two-term Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino called Hochul’s debate performance a "disaster," and said the choice heading into the midterm election couldn’t be clearer.
"Hochul justifies the unscientific and cruel masking children while leaving the door wide open for a COVID vaccine requirement for kids to go to school. Watch this space, it matters a lot," Tonwhall editor Katie Pavlich chimed in.
Real Clear Investigations deputy editor Benjamin Weingarten tweeted, "I mean what kind of governor would be concerned about a trifling thing like public safety?"
Several other prominent blue-checks also weighed in on the debate.