During her August 10, 2025 appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” Governor Kathy Hochul passionately defended New York’s approach to governing, prioritizing public safety and affordability for residents. Hochul criticized failed policies from Donald Trump and Republican leaders, pointing to rising costs, loss of jobs, and threats to healthcare as key issues troubling New Yorkers. Addressing accusations of partisan redistricting, Hochul insisted New York followed proper constitutional procedures, calling out Republican “power grabs” in other states as hypocrisy. She stressed that New Yorkers fight back when faced with political games, and highlighted her willingness to work with various leaders to improve affordability and well-being. Hochul urged Texas officials to “knock it off” and called for a return to responsible governing, emphasizing that leaders should use every legal tool available to protect democracy and residents’ interests.
August 10, 2025
Albany, NY
Audio & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Is a Guest on “Fox News Sunday”
Governor Hochul: “These times call for fighting fire with fire. We didn’t ask for this fight. I’m busy governing the State of New York, focusing on public safety and affordability. But why are we here today? Because Donald Trump looked at the polls for next year and they realize based on their failed policies, which are hurting New Yorkers and people all across this country…the tariffs did not create jobs…there are going to be millions of people without healthcare. The cost of everything’s going up…They know they’re going to lose next year. So now they’re desperate.”
Hochul: “Texas, knock it off, we’ll knock it off. Let’s get back to governing. But you want to play these games? We’re not going to sit on the sidelines. We’re New Yorkers. We fight back.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on “Fox News Sunday.”
AUDIO: The Governor’s interview is available in audio form here.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s interview is available below:
Shannon Bream, FOX: Okay, so joining us now, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, welcome to Fox News Sunday. Great to have you.
Governor Hochul: Thank you, Shannon.
Shannon Bream, FOX: Okay, so let’s start here. The governor referred to this — I mean, your state constitution was amended by the people back in 2014. It sets restrictions on when and how you can redistrict. This is what Congressman Mike Lawler — who obviously could be at danger of losing his seat. Here’s what he says about that.
Mike Lawler in video: The voters certified this at the ballot box. They wanted an independent redistricting commission. They do not want partisan gerrymandering and they do not want it done in a mid-decade redistricting. The Democrats who oftentimes lecture everybody about upholding democracy should abide by the state constitution.
Shannon Bream, FOX: Even the head of your Democratic state party there in New York says the constitution seems pretty clear. I don’t know where someone could reinterpret this as something you can do every two years. So what’s the plan? Is it to go around the constitution, get a new amendment? How do you do it?
Governor Hochul: You know what, Shannon? These times call for fighting fire with fire. We didn’t ask for this fight. I’m busy governing the State of New York, focusing on public safety and affordability. But why are we here today?
Because Donald Trump looked at the polls for next year and they realize based on their failed policies, which are hurting New Yorkers and people all across this country, the tariffs did not create jobs. They now have 2 million people more — 2 billion more on unemployment. We have Medicaid costs that are being taken away from people. There are going to be millions of people without healthcare. The cost of everything’s going up.
I was at a Target yesterday. Parents are worried about back to school shopping. So what they saw was — they said, “Wait a minute, we’re going to lose power because they actually don’t like our policies,” — even in purple and red districts, because I know what I’m talking about.
I used to represent the most Republican district in Congress just a few years . I know how they feel. They know they’re going to lose next year. So now they’re desperate. It’s like, okay, let’s look around the country. Let’s demand, not ask, but demand Greg Abbott follow like a lap dog. Donald Trump’s order to give him five seats. That’s why we’re here today.
Shannon Bream, FOX: So, Governor —
Governor Hochul: If you want to have a Texas stand down, we’ll stand down as well.
Shannon Bream, FOX: You know that Texas though legally can do it right now, you can’t in New York. So what is the plan to ignore the state constitution, to amend it?
Governor Hochul: No. We’ll put it to the people. We amend constitutions. We just did it a few years . We can put it to the people, but I think the people of this state — after what they’re seeing when there’s one party domination in Washington and how our costs are going up, we’re losing jobs and people are suffering. They’re going to want us to use every tool in the arsenal to fight back, and that’s what I intend to do.
Shannon Bream, FOX: Okay, you know, obviously, that those maps that came about the last time for redistricting were caught up in a lot of court battles there in New York. Here’s how National Review summarized it. They said it was only three years that New York’s Democratic legislature drew up a map so brazenly contemptuous of basic rules that govern a district’s contiguousness, that the state’s Democrat dominated court of appeals threw it out.
The New York Times at the time called those maps comically contorted, that’s their quote. So your state’s highest court at the time, all the judges appointed by Democratic governors, they threw the maps out. So fair to say, Democrats have done what they’re now accusing Republicans of doing.
Governor Hochul: No, we followed the rules. We do it every 10 years. We based on the census.
Shannon Bream, FOX: But the court said you didn’t follow the rules.
Governor Hochul: Well, we did follow the rules.
Shannon Bream, FOX: So the court was wrong?
Governor Hochul: Well, we followed the rules and I want to call out the hypocrisy of the Republicans who are now whining about the fact that we’re doing something in New York. Where was the outrage when Donald Trump told Texas to just go find five seats for him. Come on. People aren’t going to buy this.
Shannon Bream, FOX: Well, it is legal there in Texas, at least the way that they’re doing it for now. And there will be court challenges, I’m sure when they get done with their map if it ever gets voted on. But here’s a little bit more of what New York’s highest court said in ruling against those maps. They said the legislature created maps in a non-transparent manner controlled exclusively by the dominant political party doing exactly what they would’ve done had the 2014 constitutional reforms never been passed. They said the maps were no good.
Governor Hochul: Well, we went back and redrew the maps. We followed the process and here we are, and we didn’t intend to do this again until the 2032 elections, but because we’re in a different situation altogether, that demands that leaders stand up and say, “I’m not going to let our democracy be eroded away because there’s a blatant power grab to maintain power in our nation’s capital.”
This is what I call a legal insurrection. Legal insurrection. Just let the rules stay the way they are. We’ll do it the way we always have. But here we have Texas and now going to other states — JD Vance, why aren’t you looking out for how to lower the costs like he promised? Instead, he is going like a lapdog around the country in a different state saying, “Oh, can we pick up some here? Can we pick up here?”
Because they know they’re going to lose next year. That’s the only reason they’re engaging this. And also might be a nice distraction from people asking all of a sudden, this happens when? They refuse to release the Epstein files. So I, along with a lot of people in New York are saying, “What’s that all about? Is this just another red herring?” So no one’s buying this.
Just Texas, knock it off, we’ll knock it off. Let’s get back to governing. But you want to play these games? We’re not going to sit on the sidelines. We’re New Yorkers. We fight back.
Shannon Bream, FOX: Okay. You mentioned JD Vance, the Vice President. So I want to play a little bit of what he had to say about what he argues that a number of states like yours have done. And being more welcoming to people who are in the U.S. illegally and how that translates into then congressional seats. Here’s what he said.
J.D. Vance in video: So they get rewarded for welcoming illegal aliens in their state, giving them federal benefits, actually asking the taxpayers of states like Ohio to subsidize them. And then those same taxpayers in Ohio and Indiana and elsewhere, they have fewer congressional representatives. That’s ridiculously unfair and the only real way to fight back against it is for us to redistrict in some ways, as aggressively as these hard blue states have done.
Shannon Bream, FOX: So there was a point when you served as a county clerk in which there was talk from the Governor Spitzer at the time about having driver’s licenses issued to people who were in the country illegally.
You said you’d comply with the law, but call the sheriff about getting those folks arrested. You clearly had an evolution on that issue. So what about the Vice President’s point that the more people you have who are counted in your state, who may or may not be here legally, it helps you with congressional apportionment? Not fair to the other states.
Governor Hochul: Boy, they’re really stretching hard to justify this power grab, aren’t they? I mean, my gosh. We don’t support open borders, number one. We will help ICE remove the criminals — the worst of the worst — which is what we were told was going to happen.
So why is that the pizza guy working for 20 years at hard work every day to feed people in this neighborhood? Why is that the home healthcare aide who’s being rounded up? Why is it the people who are walking into federal courthouses, with a ticket that says, show up here for your next appointment, and they’re being captured as if they’re hardened criminals.
Give me a break. Give me a break. Stop finding all these other excuses. All you want to do is keep control of power in Washington because you know it’s slipping away and it’s slipping away quickly.
Shannon Bream, FOX: So you’ve gotten a lot of praise within your party for hosting the folks from Texas for fighting back here is what some of that praise entitled. It says, “Battling Donald Trump requires a politics of courage and fight. Governor Hochul is once again meeting that moment.” That is from Zohran Mamdani . He’s now a fan of yours. I know you’ve had differences in the past, but is the feeling mutual? Do you think he’s a good choice for New York City?
Governor Hochul: We still have many differences. I don’t know how you whitewash that away. He can agree with me — and many people agree with me. And I think it’s not just Democrats who say, New Yorkers stand up for our rights. We do that. It’s what we are hardwired to do. We’re fighters. I’m a mom from Buffalo. I guess they’re not used to taking on a mom from Buffalo, perhaps. But let me tell you this, there’s many areas of disagreement, but also there’s areas of alignment, including affordability.
His election touched a nerve and people said, “You know what? We’re just not getting ahead.” And the Trump policies that were promised to lift people up, reduce costs, not touch Medicaid, make sure the tariffs create jobs, none of that happened. So there’s this sense of, “we need some change now.”
So my job as governor of the State of New York, I’ve worked with two already — two different mayors. I’ll continue work with whomever the voters want me to, and I’ll make it work. I will make it work out because I’m not going to go to war with the 8 million residents of New York that I also represent. So, my job is to calm things down. Let’s see what the election results are.
But people have to recognize what that candidate for mayor has also touched a nerve, and we need to be responsive to that. So, I’m aligned with him that we need to start finding ways to make life more affordable for New Yorkers.
Shannon Bream, FOX: Well, having lived there, Governor, I agree with you. We wish you the best on that effort. We’ll continue to watch on the redistricting efforts and the possible amendment as well. We appreciate your time. Thank you, Governor.
Governor Hochul: Thanks, Shannon. Bye-bye.
Sources: NY.gov , Big New York news BigNY.com
