The far-left Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, conducted an impassioned press conference where she vehemently criticized President Donald Trump for his initiative to abolish New York City’s burdensome congestion pricing. During her outburst, she likened the president to a monarch and pledged to resist him at all costs.
For context, on February 19, 2025, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy sent her a letter proposing the termination of the excessive tolls on New York City Highways, which varied from under a dollar to over $35, depending on traffic conditions. The president has voiced concerns that these tolls adversely affect working-class Americans.
Regardless, the Governor’s peculiar tirade, which was shared on the same day as the letter, included dramatic statements regarding Trump. She commenced with, “At 1:01 pm today, the New York US Department of Transportation emailed us a letter from Secretary Duffy announcing their attempt to end the congestion pricing program in the state of New York. At 1:58 pm, President Donald Trump tweeted Long live the king.”
Continuing her dramatic display, Hochul equated Trump to a sovereign. She remarked, “I’m here to assert that New York has not been under the rule of a king for over 250 years. We are certainly not going to start now, in the streets of the city where battles were fought. We stood up to a king, and we triumphed. Furthermore, in case you are unaware, New Yorkers, we are engaged in a struggle. We do not retreat, not now, not ever.
The controversy originated with Sean Duffy’s letter, which highlighted that the congestion charges had exceeded their original purpose. He stated, “Dear Governor Hochul: I am writing to you regarding the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) endorsement of the Central Business District (CBD) Tolling Program (CBDTP)… Under the agreement, the FHWA sanctioned the CBDTP as an exception to the general prohibition against tolling on highways. Congress approved the VPPP exception in 1991 as a pilot program to evaluate congestion reduction strategies. New York is one of 15 States permitted to implement the program.
In addition to the letter, Duffy emphasized the effects of the charges on the working population. The transportation secretary remarked, “I align with the President’s worries regarding the consequences for working-class Americans who are now faced with an extra financial obligation in their everyday lives. Those utilizing the highway system within the CBD tolling zone have already contributed to the funding of the construction and enhancement of these highways through their payment of gas taxes and various other taxes.”
Observe Hochul’s reaction here:
