New York Gov. Kathy Hochul claims GOP crime 'conspiracy' manipulating voters to make them feel unsafe
Hochul tells MSNBC's Al Sharpton that Republicans are 'data deniers' and 'master manipulators'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D., claimed Sunday that voters' panicked perceptions of crime across the country were based on a GOP "conspiracy."
MSNBC host Al Sharpton reacted to the tightening New York Race on his Sunday show with bewilderment over voters' perception that Democrats like Hochul were "soft on crime." He argued gun violence was the real problem and asked the governor if Republicans were "distorting" the crime issue.
Hochul agreed, calling Republicans "master manipulators" that had hoodwinked voters into believing Democratic states were unsafe.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gov. Kathy Hochul decried the GOP "conspiracy" that the crime problem in New York could be blamed on Democrats. (MSNBC/Screenshot)
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"These are master manipulators. They have this conspiracy going all across America trying to convince people that in Democratic states that they’re not as safe. Well guess what? They’re also not only election deniers, they’re data deniers," she said.
The governor went on to argue that violent crime was actually down in her state.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The data shows that shootings and murders are down in our state by 15% in New York City, down 20% on Long Island where Lee Zeldin comes from," she said, referring to her Republican opponent.
She blamed "Republican states" for being too lax on guns and claimed the GOP were "hijacking and weaponizing" crime with voters.
"The safer places are the Democratic states," Hochul declared.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hochul also raised conservative eyebrows during her debate with Zeldin last week when she asked why the particulars of crime policy were "so important" to him.
"Has Gov. Hochul visited a subway recently (without her armed security team)???" The Daily Caller's Brianna Lyman asked about the MSNBC clip.
Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin. (Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There has been a drastic uptick in crime on New York City subways, with homicides rising to their highest levels in 25 years since 2020.
As crime remains a top concern for voters, several Democrats have attempted to reclaim the narrative to pin the problem on Republicans.
New York City subway crime has skyrocketed since 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Earlier this year, California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed crime data actually shows red states have a "murder problem."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The New York race is one of many blue area races where the Republican candidate is exceeding expectations. The New York Times reported last week that Democrats are "frantic" over possibly losing the race, although Hochul has yet to trail in an opinion poll.
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A recent Quinnipiac poll this month found New York Republicans and independents listed crime as their top concern, even over inflation, heading into the midterms. The survey showed a tight race between Hochul and Zeldin, in a state that has not elected a Republican governor in 20 years. New York City saw a surge in burglaries and carjackings in September compared to last year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.