NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — New York Lieutenant Gov. Antonio Delgado may have publicly called for President Joe Biden to step away from his reelection campaign, but that did not keep the state’s top Democrat from affirming her support for the incumbent on Thursday.
Hours before Biden held a highly anticipated press conference at the 2024 NATO Summit where he declared unequivocally that he is staying in the race, Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed to reporters in Albany that she stands in strong support of Biden, especially as the threat of a second Donald Trump presidency looms.
“I stand firmly with the president. The last time I met with him personally, he said he is in this race. He says he is in it to win it,” Hochul said. “Therefore, every day we’re talking about people with difference of opinion is a day we’re not talking about the existential threat of Donald Trump becoming president.”
Hochul pointed to Project 2025—a proposed overhaul of the U.S. government drafted by conservative think tanks and former Trump administration officials—as one of the reasons that Democrats need to be unified behind Biden.
“This is Trump’s Project 2025,” the governor said while holding up a printed platform. “If you have not read this, do not read it at night because it will keep you up with nightmares.”
The over-900-page platform proposes expanding presidential power and replacing government officials with conservative loyalists, but Trump has claimed that he had nothing to do with its creation.
“I know nothing about Project 2025. I have not seen it, have no idea who is in charge of it, and, unlike our very well received Republican Platform, had nothing to do with it,” Trump wrote on his own social media platform Truth. “The Radical Left Democrats are having a field day, however, trying to hook me into whatever policies are stated or said. It is pure disinformation on their part.”
Hochul deflected many of her comments about the presidential race to the importance of a party victory over Trump, stating that “That is my laser focus, that’s what Democrats need to be focused on, defeating Donald Trump.”
But as Democratic resistance to the Biden campaign grows—with considerable attention being directed to the president's mental acuity and ability to help down-ballot candidates across swing districts in the state—Hochul asserted confidence in Biden’s impact on New York.
“We talk about issues that affect the state of New York. That’s why it’s so critical that we not only deliver the House, but also to make sure that we have a president who understands these issues to his core,” the governor said. “I’ve seen him have these conversations, they’re engaged, they’re thoughtful and they show that he is in command.”