New York Governor Kathy Hochul and her public relations team made a huge unforced error celebrating the safety of the New York City subway system with a post on X only hours after an illegal immigrant set a sleeping woman on fire burning her to death on a subway car.
Just hours after the horrific incident Hochul said on X, “In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day. Since deploying the NY National Guard to support the NYPD and MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up.”
Elon Musk took to the social media platform he owns, Twitter/X, and demanded that New York voters “recall” Hochul and remove her from office.
Hochul made no mention of the arson-murder of the still unidentified woman. A previously deported, Guatemalan illegal immigrant, Sebastian Zapeta, has been charged with murder for setting the woman on fire.
Elon Musk said, “Insane. She should be recalled.”
To add insult to injury, and in this case murder, the New York City Department of Corrections has said it will not honor an immigration detainer filed by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
New York Minority Leader Senator Rob Ortt (R,C,I) , said “The same day Kathy Hochul declared a safe subway, an illegal immigrant set an innocent woman on fire and killed her. It doesn’t get more tone-deaf than that. The Governor must take down her tweet immediately and apologize to the victim’s family and New York taxpayers.”
Congressman Mike Lawyler (R-Suffern), the likely Republican candidate for Governor, said, “This animal should never see the light of day. We must prosecute violent criminals & repeat offenders; end cashless bail & enact a dangerousness standard; and empower the police. New Yorkers should be outraged at the gross incompetence of its elected leaders.”
While no one thinks Hochul was in any way celebrating the death of the woman, the tone-deaf and ill-timed Tweet points to a lack of awareness and even the incompetency of her communications team.
Hochul’s “safer subway” messaging also does not match the facts on the ground. Ten people have been murdered in New York City’s subways this year, which is a 25-year high only matched by the murder count in 2022.
Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-South Bronx), a potential primary challenger for Hochul, said, “In New York, dangerous people are allowed to freely roam the subway. Yet the political establishment insists on gaslighting the public with deceptive headlines: “crime is down” and “the subways are safe.”
Tom Homan, President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming border czar, said of Hochul’s actions on illegal immigrants in New York, “She sent them to Buffalo, Syracuse. Murders occurred…She has a green light law. ICE and CBP can’t even work with local law enforcement. Local law enforcement can’t even share DMV data with these people. So, Governor Hochul, shame on you. There’s nothing you can say that’s going to make this right in New York.”
New York State Senator Steven Rhodes (R,C-Levittown) said, “In a striking display of dissonance, Governor Hochul celebrated subway safety yesterday by taking selfies despite a woman earlier being set on fire on a Brooklyn train. This savage killing is yet another example of Governor Hochul’s tone-deaf leadership.”