Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) told The Daily Wire that President Joe Biden’s handlers will pull out all the stops to make the aging politician “more alert” than he usually is.
Zeldin’s statements came just hours before former President Donald Trump and Biden face off in the first presidential debate of the election cycle.
“There should be higher expectations for President Biden. He&#8217;s been debating for decades. He will likely be more alert than you normally see him,” Zeldin explained in an interview with Daily Wire Investigations Editor Brent Scher. “However, his team manages to be able to make him more alert, I&#8217;m sure that they will be pulling whatever they can out of the hat.”
Zeldin’s comments come as the former president has <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ahead-debate-trump-escalates-calls-biden-drug-tests/story?id=111385583">escalated calls</a> for Biden to take a drug test ahead of the debate. &#8220;DRUG TEST FOR CROOKED JOE BIDEN??? I WOULD, ALSO, IMMEDIATELY AGREE TO ONE!!!&#8221; Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social.
&#8220;So, a little before debate time, he gets a shot in the a** — they want to strengthen him up so he comes out, he&#8217;ll come out, okay, I say he&#8217;ll come out all jacked up, right?” Trump also said while addressing a crowd in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Trump was accused of using drugs, particularly cocaine, after one of his debate performances during the 2016 election. “Notice Trump sniffing all the time. Coke user?” former Democrat Governor of Vermont and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean tweeted during a 2016 presidential debate.
Zeldin went on to explain why he thinks some people are setting their expectations of Biden unreasonably low. “When you&#8217;re talking policy, these are issues that he has been talking about for a long time. And, you know, memorizing a line or two for particular topics, it&#8217;s not hard,” he added. “I&#8217;m sure … President Biden&#8217;s going to be focusing hard on debate prep. So I think that it&#8217;s important not to set expectations too low on President Biden.”
The former Congressman from New York also addressed how the rules and format of the debate could tip the scales in Biden’s favor, pointing out that “the hosts are two CNN moderators who favor President Biden and the Democrats.” So the situation is geared in President Biden&#8217;s favor as well. President Biden didn&#8217;t want an audience. Okay. So there won&#8217;t be an audience,” Zeldin went on to add. “The terms were set in a way where one might think, well, there&#8217;s just no way that President Trump&#8217;s going to agree to this.”
“I&#8217;m confident that he&#8217;s going to be ready. I&#8217;m also confident that President Biden, when he shows up, is going to be a lot more alert than some people think,” Zeldin added.

Biden at debate

Lee Zeldin Predicts Biden Handlers Pulling Whatever They Can Out Of The Hat To Have President ‘More Alert Than Normal At Debate’

Biden

Debate

Lee Zeldin

Presidential Debate

Trump

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) announced Wednesday morning that he would not run to become the Republican National Committee&#8217;s (RNC) new leader but insisted that &#8220;change is desperately needed.&#8221;
The congressman, who recently lost a close gubernatorial battle with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), lashed out at the status quo on Twitter.
&#8220;RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel should not run for a 4th term,&#8221; Zeldin tweeted Wednesday morning. &#8220;I won’t be running for RNC Chair at this time with McDaniel’s reelection pre-baked by design, but that doesn’t mean she should even be running again. It’s time the GOP elects new leadership! It’s time for fresh blood!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel should not run for a 4th term.
I won’t be running for RNC Chair at this time with McDaniel’s reelection pre-baked by design, but that doesn’t mean she should even be running again.
It’s time the GOP elects new leadership!
It’s time for fresh blood!
&mdash; Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) <a href="https://twitter.com/leezeldin/status/1600475213027606530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Zeldin released a longer statement along with his announcement to express his concerns.
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&#8220;Change is desperately needed, and there are many leaders, myself included, ready and willing to step up to ensure our party retools and transforms as critical elections fast approach, namely the 2024 Presidential and Congressional races,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/leezeldin/status/1600477109775761410" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;However, the issue is Chairwoman McDaniel&#8217;s re-election appears to already be pre-baked, as if the disappointing results of every election during her tenure, including yesterday in Georgia, do not and should not even matter,&#8221; the congressman added.
Zeldin referred to the Georgia Senate runoff that incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) won Tuesday night over Republican challenger Herschel Walker. With more than 99% of estimated votes counted, Warnock has 51.31% support, leading by over 92,000 votes, <a href="https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Decision Desk HQ. Walker conceded on Tuesday night.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Decision Desk HQ projects Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) wins re-election to the U.S. Senate in Georgia.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DecisionMade?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DecisionMade</a>: 9:48pm EST
Follow more results here: <a href="https://t.co/hLeDr0wwEp">https://t.co/hLeDr0wwEp</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ica9IL7HyE">pic.twitter.com/Ica9IL7HyE</a>
&mdash; Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/1600321318762577921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The New York congressman first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lee-zeldin-very-seriously-considering-campaign-to-oust-ronna-mcdaniel-as-rnc-chair" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that he was considering challenging McDaniel in November, shortly after the midterm elections. He was among many GOP leaders concerned with the party&#8217;s expected &#8220;red wave&#8221; that never materialized, which left the Senate in the hands of Democrats and only a slim Republican majority in the House.
Zeldin is one of multiple leaders who have discussed a challenge to McDaniel&#8217;s leadership. The Daily Wire recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/famed-conservative-attorney-harmeet-dhillon-to-challenge-ronna-mcdaniel-for-rnc-chair" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that conservative attorney Harmeet Dhillon said she plans to run against her.
“After three successive terms of underwhelming results at the polls for the GOP, all the while with leaders congratulating ourselves for outstanding performance, I feel that we owe it to our voters to have a serious debate about the leadership of the party and what we must change to actually win in 2024,” Dhillon said in a statement to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/04/mcdaniel-dhillon-rnc-chair-election-00072116">POLITICO</a>.
MyPillow founder Mike Lindell also <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/28/my-pillow-mike-lindell-rnc-chairman">said</a> he is &#8220;100% running for the RNC chairman.&#8221;
McDaniel recently told committee members she would run for re-election through the 2024 presidential election based on their feedback. She claimed to have support from a substantial majority of the 168-member committee.

Lee Zeldin Makes His Decision On Run For RNC Chair

Congress

Harmeet Dhillon

Mike Lindell

Politics

Republican National Committee (RNC)

Ronna Romney McDaniel

Conservative attorney Harmeet Dhillon reportedly said she plans on challenging Ronna McDaniel for Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee.
Dhillon, whose resume includes her service as former vice chairwoman of the California Republican Party and her expertise on civil liberties, has been allegedly meeting with RNC members in preparation for a bid to unseat McDaniel in the coming days.
“After three successive terms of underwhelming results at the polls for the GOP, all the while with leaders congratulating ourselves for outstanding performance, I feel that we owe it to our voters to have a serious debate about the leadership of the party and what we must change to actually win in 2024,” Dhillon said in a statement to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/04/mcdaniel-dhillon-rnc-chair-election-00072116">Politico</a>.
Rumors of Dhillon’s prospective run come after former New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin has said he would consider running — and Mercedes Schlapp, a former top Trump White House official who is the wife of American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp, has also considered running for the position.
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Dhillon said in her statement that “tens of thousands of Republicans have contacted me in recent weeks about the future of the party, demanding that we make changes in order to fulfill our only function of electing Republicans nationally.”
McDaniel recently told committee members she would run for reelection to lead the party through the 2024 presidential election based on the feedback from her support, many of whom reached out to her to continue leading the committee.
The chairwoman has not responded to requests for comment about Dhillon’s possible bid.
RNC members will hold a vote to determine the chairmanship at the committee’s annual winter meeting held at the beginning of the year in Dana Point, California.
MyPillow founder <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/03/politics/mypillow-lindell-supreme-court-dominion-defamation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Lindell</a> also said he would consider running for chair of the 168 member-committee. He is currently fighting a defamation lawsuit, filed by Dominion Voting Systems after Lindell claimed that the company rigged machines in the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden. Dominion is seeking $1.3 billion in damages.

Attorney Harmeet Dhillon California’s national committeewoman for the Republican National Committee poses for a photograph at her office in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)

Conservative Attorney Harmeet Dhillon To Challenge Ronna McDaniel For RNC Chair

General

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lee-zeldin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lee Zeldin</a> (R-NY) said Thursday he would &#8220;very seriously consider&#8221; running for Republican National Committee chair, challenging Ronna McDaniel in her bid for reelection.
Zeldin, 42, who is coming off the heels of a defeat in the Empire State&#8217;s governor race last week, told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/17/zeldin-moves-closer-to-bid-for-gop-chair-00069254" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> in an email that he has received requests both inside and outside the committee&#8217;s 168 members to replace McDaniel.
&#8220;It is time for our party to retool, transform, win back the presidency in 2024, expand our number of Republican held seats in Congress, and elect the maximum number of down ballot races across the country,&#8221; Zeldin said. &#8220;The Republican Party needs to be all in to do everything in its power to save America.&#8221;
Zeldin campaigned on failed Democratic policies responsible for the surge in crime in the state — especially in New York City — which he said would continue to run rampant in American cities.
After the highly anticipated red wave crashed before it could flood into the Senate chambers, Zeldin said failing to win the congressional wing allows the Biden administration&#8217;s agenda to continue — which has caused a crisis at the Southern Border, taxpayers&#8217; pockets to shrink, and depleting American energy through the pipe dream known as the Green New Deal.
&#8220;Of every one of these issues, the American people agree that our approach will lead to a safer, more prosperous country for our families, which is all the more reason why we have not been as successful in the elections across the country as we were in New York — a traditionally Democratic stronghold — this year,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/hollyotterbein/status/1593337337785753600?s=46&amp;t=Yx9jQang6BnlVomj6HDiSw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Despite falling short in the Senate, Republicans successfully took back the House.
Conservative New Yorkers turned out in record numbers in the 2022 midterm elections, which led to four congressional seats flipping from blue to red — the most in the entire country — and removed the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Committee.
Although Zeldin failed to sweep the governor&#8217;s race against his non-traditional incumbent opponent, the New York representative led an impressive campaign by finishing six points behind Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul — making it the closest gubernatorial race in the state since 1994.
The Times Union <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/state/article/New-York-governor-race-Republican-17574475.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> every county in the state swung to the right since the presidential election in 2020, which led Republicans to change the margin of victory by an average of 14 points.
Zeldin urged the Republican Party to build off the energy nationwide by driving up the GOP base, dive into deep blue communities, and form new relationships to advance the conservative agenda.
&#8220;This means making sure people know what we stand for, and not just what we are against,&#8221; he said.
RNC Chairwoman McDaniel told committee members this week she would run for reelection to lead the party through the 2024 presidential election.
Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/14/ronna-mcdaniel-rnc-reelection-00066764" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> the current chairwoman said she would run based on the feedback from her support, many of whom reached out to her to continue leading the committee.
&#8220;The Chairwoman has overwhelming support from the members of the RNC to run again, which we hope she does, to make Joe Biden a one-term President and get a Republican back in the White House,&#8221; Jim Dicke, an RNC committee member from Ohio, told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rnc-chair-ronna-mcdaniel-seek-fourth-term-steering-national-committee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> in a statement.
According to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rnc-chair-ronna-mcdaniel-seek-fourth-term-steering-national-committee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>, Mercedes Schlapp, a former top Trump White House official who is the wife of American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp, has also considered running for the position.
RNC committee members will vote on the next chair in early January for their annual winter meeting.

House Republicans Address Media After Conference Meeting On Israel

Lee Zeldin ‘Very Seriously Considering’ Campaign To Oust Ronna McDaniel As RNC Chair

Lee Zeldin Signals Possibility To Oust Ronna McDaniel As RNC Chair

New York

Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kathy-hochul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kathy Hochul</a> (D-NY) survived her first election as governor of the Empire State on Tuesday night, besting GOP Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lee-zeldin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lee Zeldin</a> (NY) in a race that continued to tighten against the Democrat&#8217;s favor, according to a <a href="https://twitter.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/1590200595801333761" target="_blank" rel="noopener">projection</a> from DecisionDeskHQ.
Though it looked like 64-year-old Hochul would have an easy ride to victory as the incumbent Democrat, concerns over rising crime and sky-high inflation moved the race to a toss-up in recent weeks.
Notably, Hochul was not a traditional incumbent — she wasn’t elected to the position of governor, but took over for disgraced Governor Andrew Cuomo after a sexual misconduct scandal led to his ouster in August 2021.
Zeldin, 42, during the campaign routinely highlighted what he called failed Democratic policies responsible for the raging crime wave in the state, specifically in New York City. The tactic seemed to tighten the polls in his favor, despite Hochul’s focus on social issues like abortion.
One of the early moments that seemed to contrast the pair on crime policies was in July, when Zeldin was attacked by a blade-wielding man during a campaign stop in Rochester. The attacker, identified as 43-year-old David G. Jakubonis, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alleged-attacker-of-republican-congressman-released-from-custody">released</a> mere hours after his arrest.
“After being charged with a felony for last night’s attack, the man who tried to stab me was instantly released back onto the street due to New York’s insane cashless bail law. We MUST repeal cashless bail in New York!” Zeldin tweeted at the time, captioning a photo of the thwarted attack.
Jakubonis was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lee-zeldins-alleged-attacker-arrested-for-second-time-faces-federal-charges">arrested</a> days later on a federal assault charge.
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After being charged with a felony for last night’s attack, the man who tried to stab me was instantly released back onto the street due to New York’s insane cashless bail law. We MUST repeal cashless bail in New York! <a href="https://t.co/7pMpulaOoJ">pic.twitter.com/7pMpulaOoJ</a>
&mdash; Lee Zeldin (@LeeMZeldin) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeeMZeldin/status/1550533346324664324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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And in October, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twin-daughters-of-ny-gov-hopeful-lee-zeldin-hide-as-shooting-unfolds-outside-home">shooting</a> broke out outside the Zeldin family home while his two twin daughters were inside by themselves, hiding in a bathroom until the gunfire ceased.
&#8220;We cannot surrender any street anywhere in the state of New York to criminals,” the gubernatorial hopeful <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twin-daughters-of-ny-gov-hopeful-lee-zeldin-hide-as-shooting-unfolds-outside-home">said</a> following the shooting. “I want to see our law enforcement in charge of all of New York’s streets.”
Zeldin hit the same <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/absolutely-crushing-kathy-a-fiery-zeldin-comes-out-swinging-over-crime-in-debate-against-hochul">tough-on-crime</a> note during the pair&#8217;s debate, while Hochul zeroed-in on gun laws, despite the state having some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.
“Kathy Hochul believes that the only crimes being committed are crimes with guns; you have people who are afraid to be pushed in front of oncoming subway cars, they’re being stabbed, beaten to death on the street with hammers,&#8221; Zeldin said.
“Talk to the Asian American community and how it’s impacted them with the loss of lives, Jewish people targeted with raw, violent anti-Semitism on our streets — it just happened yet again,” the Republican continued. “We need to be talking about all of these other crimes, but instead, Kathy Hochul is busy patting herself on the back, job well done. No, actually.”
“Right now,” Zeldin said, “there should be a special session” to “overhaul cashless bail and these other pro-criminal laws with zero tolerance.”
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NY Gov. Kathy Hochul&#39;s plan to address the spike in violent crime? More gun control. 
Congressman Lee Zeldin has other ideas. <a href="https://t.co/QlJ0T4Uz2F">pic.twitter.com/QlJ0T4Uz2F</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1585048013294403586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Hochul during the debate painted Zeldin as too conservative for deep-Blue New York, specifically when it comes to abortion.
“You’re the only person standing on this stage whose name right now — not years past — that right now, is on a bill called ‘Life Begins at Conception,’” Hochul <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/25/nyregion/takeaways-hochul-zeldin-debate.html">said</a> of Zeldin.
“That is a frightening spectacle,” the Democrat added. “Women need to know that that’s on the ballot this November as well.”
Hochul refused during the debate to name a single restriction on abortion she would support. Notably, abortion is legal is some cases until the moment of birth in the Empire State.
The incumbent also refused to move on her harsh stance concerning COVID vaccine mandates, telling fired unvaccinated New Yorker health care workers she’d “do it again” with regard to the vax mandate.

Kathy Hochul/Lee Zeldin

New York Governor Kathy Hochul Holds On Against Republican Lee Zeldin: Projection

2022 Election

2022 Midterms

Elections

Kathy Hochul

<a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/sunny-hostin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunny Hostin</a> made it clear on Tuesday that she was concerned about the sheer volume of signs in her area showing support for New York&#8217;s Republican gubernatorial challenger <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/lee-zeldin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lee Zeldin</a>.
Hostin made the comments on Tuesday&#8217;s broadcast of ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View,&#8221; noting that she had voted earlier that morning in Westchester County — which she noted was a somewhat Republican area — and said that she had never seen so many Republican signs in her hometown before.
WATCH:
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Alyssa Farah Griffin warns the cast that Republicans will win BIG today. She predicts at least 20 seats in the House and will take back the majority in the Senate. But she claims there will be a &quot;red mirage&quot; in Pennsylvania, with a blue mirage in Arizona. <a href="https://t.co/odCP3c3WRW">pic.twitter.com/odCP3c3WRW</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1590018154327334912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I voted this morning at about 7 a.m.,&#8221; Hostin began. &#8220;And I&#8217;m encouraging other people to vote, please. And it was packed, and that was very encouraging for me.&#8221;
Hostin&#8217;s co-hosts voiced their agreement as she continued, &#8220;I voted in Westchester County where I live, which is actually kind of — skews a little Republican, and I was seeing all these like &#8216;Lee Zeldin for Governor&#8217; things everywhere. I&#8217;ve never seen that much Republican signage in my neighborhood ever, and I&#8217;ve never seen so many people voting, so that was very encouraging to me.&#8221;
&#8220;But I have to tell you, I think that they&#8217;re using — Republicans are using this rhetoric, this election denial stuff because it works,&#8221; Hostin continued. &#8220;It works for so many people, and there&#8217;s so many people that feel disenfranchised that I&#8217;m not surprised that you have someone like Herschel Walker in a dead heat with Senator [Raphael] Warnock.&#8221;
Hostin and co-host Joy Behar went on to complain that people didn&#8217;t seem swayed by the fact that both Sen. Warnock (D-GA) and Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman (D) were both highly educated.
Republican co-host <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/alyssa-farah-griffin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alyssa Farah Griffin</a> joined the conversation then, calling on everyone to &#8220;go out and vote&#8221; and acknowledging that her opinion was likely to be unpopular before predicting Republican gains, at least in the U.S. House of Representatives.
&#8220;We won&#8217;t know the results until we know them, but I expect to see Republicans win handily,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;I would say about 20 seats at least in the House. The Senate&#8217;s going to be closer, I do think they&#8217;ll take back the majority.&#8221;
Griffin concluded with a warning against calling results too early, noting that different states counted their votes in different ways and early indicators might not match up with final vote counts.

Republican candidate for New York Governor Lee Zeldin (C)

‘I’ve Never Seen That Much Republican Signage In My Neighborhood’: ‘The View’ Host Frets Over New Yorkers Liking Lee Zeldin

'The View' Host Sunny Hostin Frets Over New Yorkers Liking Lee Zeldin

Media

Sunny Hostin

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> is set to campaign for Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kathy-hochul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kathy Hochul</a> in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> Sunday amid panic that she may lose against Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lee-zeldin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lee Zeldin</a>.
Biden scheduled a campaign event with Hochul Sunday afternoon in Yonkers, according to a report from WNYC radio&#8217;s Capitol Press Room. The event is one of several high-profile stumps Biden has made for Hochul, and the latest rally that the incumbent Democrat has held with leading faces of her party. The event also comes amid reports of panic among Democrats that Hochul may very well lose to Zeldin on Tuesday.
The Hochul campaign confirmed the event to <a href="https://capitolpressroom.org/2022/11/04/sources-biden-to-campaign-with-hochul/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Capitol Press Room</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/nyregion/hochul-biden.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>. The event is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Sunday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will also be in attendance, along with other party leaders. The event is a get-out-the-vote rally, attempting to drum up some enthusiasm among the Democratic base, the NYT added.
Biden previously attended an event on <a href="https://abc7ny.com/kathy-hochul-lee-zeldin-president-joe-biden-bus-tour/12384796/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">October 27</a> to promote the opening of a $1oo million semiconductor plant in New York. The Sunday event caps a busy week for Biden, who campaigned for Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist and Senate candidate Val Demings in Miami Gardens on November 1. Then on November 3, he traveled to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-stump-for-embattled-new-mexico-governor-as-poll-shows-her-trailing-republican-challenger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Mexico</a> to stump for embattled Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. On Saturday, Biden campaigned for Democratic Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro and Senate candidate John Fetterman.
Earlier this week, Vice President <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/03/nyregion/hochul-women-kamala-harris.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a> and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared at another get-out-the-vote rally for women in support of Hochul.
Biden&#8217;s latest appearance in New York comes amid a report that Democrats in the state are panicking that Hochul could be on the losing end of a monumental upset in a state that has not elected a Republican governor since George Pataki in 2002.
According to a report from <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/04/politics/eric-adams-new-york-crime-midterms/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>, Democrats are bracing for a potential loss, and are blaming New York City Mayor Eric Adams for &#8220;overhyping the issue&#8221; of crime and &#8220;playing into right-wing narratives&#8221; that create fear among New Yorkers. “He was an essential validator in the city to make their attacks seem more legit and less partisan,” an anonymous Democratic campaign operative told CNN.
“The concern over crime is real. It is acute,” New York Congressman Mondaire Jones told the outlet. “But once this election is over, I hope people have an honest conversation about how Democrats like Eric Adams have validated a hysteria over crime that is uninformed and that has been debunked.”
Democrats&#8217; panic is well warranted: a poll conducted by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-poll-shows-zeldin-leading-hochul-gains-support-from-group-that-votes-overwhelmingly-democratic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trafalgar Group</a> showed that Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin holds a lead of just under one point against Hochul, 48.4%-47.6%, with 4% of voters undecided. Trafalgar Group chief pollster Robert Cahaly also reported that Zeldin was pulling support from an interesting group of Democratic voters in the race.
“I’ve been saying that I had a theory, based on our last two #NYGov #polls, that what’s left of the #Cuomo machine could back @leezeldin,&#8221; Cahaly <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertCahaly/status/1587555916710395904?s=20&amp;t=IG40kG_RS0wd6v8OMmozbw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>. Included in his tweet were two screenshots of hypothetical polls that showed disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo would have led Zeldin by 10 points, 55%-45%; a sizeable majority of voters said that Cuomo did a better job as governor than Hochul, 59.4% to 40.6%.

President Biden Delivers Remarks On Preserving And Protecting Democracy

Biden To Make Last-Minute Stump For Hochul As Democrats Panic That She Could Lose To Republican Lee Zeldin

Democratic Party

Joe Biden

Who are you going to believe, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kathy-hochul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Governor Kathy Hochul</a> (D-NY) or your own lying eyes?
On Friday, Hochul claimed that Republicans, such as her gubernatorial opponent Congressman Lee Zeldin, were lying about the amount of crime plaguing New York over the past year. Her remarks came even as CNN displayed data showing that overall crime was up 31% from October 2021 &#8211; October 2022 in the Big Apple.
“Because they’re being dishonest about it,&#8221; Hochul said when asked why GOP candidates are gaining grounds in polls while talking about crime. &#8220;They’re not having a conversation about real solutions.&#8221;
While Hochul acknowledged that crime is a problem in New York City, she <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/04/politics/kathy-hochul-lee-zeldin-gop-crime/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that the real issue was the number of guns on the street and that Republicans were “tough on crime, but soft on guns.”
“That’s not going to give anyone any comfort,” Hochul said of the crime data. “It says we still have a problem, I understand that, but let’s talk about real answers and not just give everybody all these platitudes.”
Her segment alongside data showing New York City crime rising in every section except murder can be seen here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) saying Republicans &quot;are being dishonest&quot; about crime rising in New York on a split screen with the actual rising crime statistics is like a perfect visual metaphor for her entire <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYGov?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYGov</a> campaign.<a href="https://t.co/SD8tmvdOWQ">pic.twitter.com/SD8tmvdOWQ</a>
&mdash; RRH Elections (@RRHElections) <a href="https://twitter.com/RRHElections/status/1588572143822209024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Earlier in the week, the governor also accused Republicans of being &#8220;master manipulators&#8221; on this topic.
&#8220;They have this conspiracy going all across America to try to convince people in Democratic states they&#8217;re not as safe,&#8221; she claimed. &#8220;Well guess what? They&#8217;re not only election deniers, they&#8217;re data deniers. The data shows that murders and shootings in our state are down by 15%, down almost 20% on Long Island where Lee Zeldin lives.&#8221;
As documented by the New York Post, the data show that violence is surging in New York City, regardless of what Hochul says.
&#8220;&#8230;citywide murders last year were 67% higher than in 2017, and that, though they’ve fallen slightly this year, other crimes continue to soar,&#8221; The Post recently <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/10/31/gov-hochul-youre-the-real-data-denier-on-surging-crime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. &#8220;As of Sunday, rapes in Gotham were up 10.9% over last year, robberies 32.4%, grand larcenies 38.5% and car thefts 34.5%.&#8221;
Despite the litany of crimes committed without firearms, Hochul believes that laws which weaken the Second Amendment and eliminate concealed carry in New York are necessary to reduce lawlessness.
When previously asked for data showing that legal concealed carry holders are committing crimes, Hochul was defiant that she didn&#8217;t need any numbers to back up her claims.
&#8220;Do you have the numbers to show that it’s the concealed carry permit holders that are committing crimes?&#8221; one reporter asked.
&#8220;I don’t need to have numbers,&#8221; she claimed. &#8220;I don’t need to have a data point to say this. I know that I have a responsibility for this state to have sensible gun safety laws.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Anne: Do you have numbers to show that it’s the concealed carry permit holders that are committing crimes? 
Hochul: I don’t need to have numbers. I don’t need to have a data point to say this. I know that I have a responsibility for this state to have sensible gun safety laws. <a href="https://t.co/NiCp7POO88">pic.twitter.com/NiCp7POO88</a>
&mdash; Anne McCloy (@theannemccloy) <a href="https://twitter.com/theannemccloy/status/1542285958703366146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Critics say that New York&#8217;s bail reform law signed in 2019 is partly to blame for the overall rise in crime. That law banned cash bail except for the &#8220;most serious misdemeanors and felonies.&#8221; Politico explained state judges cannot hold defendants based on their &#8220;perceived dangerousness&#8221; and are <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/24/new-york-democrats-bail-reform-00052207#:~:text=New%20York%20passed%20the%20sweeping,ensuring%20defendants%20return%20to%20court." target="_blank" rel="noopener">required</a> to use the &#8220;least restrictive means&#8221; of ensuring charged individuals return to court.
Highlighting the dangers of such a policy, a New York mother was <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/11/01/ny-man-sprung-on-no-bail-in-facebook-posted-beating-guns-down-wife-cops/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killed</a> by her estranged husband who was let out of jail without bail despite being arrested for beating her.
For her part, Hochul has defended that policy, claiming that crime is rising everywhere else in the nation. Of course, what <a href="https://www.heritage.org/crime-and-justice/report/the-blue-city-murder-problem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she leaves out</a> is that other leftist policies in blue cities can explain that data as well.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 03: Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton hold up their hands at the conclusion of a New York Women “Get Out The Vote” rally at Barnard College on November 03, 2022 in New York City. Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton joined Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James as they campaigned at a New York Women GOTV rally with the midterm elections under a week away. Hochul holds a slim lead in the polls against Republican candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin. AG James is favored to beat Republican candidate for Attorney General Michael Henry.

While CNN Displays Data Showing NYC Crime Up 31%, Kathy Hochul Says GOP Dishonest About Rising Lawlessness

While CNN Displays Data Showing NYC Crime Up 31%, Kathy Hochul Says GOP  Dishonest About Rising Lawlessness

Crime

U.S.

During a debate last week between candidates for governor in New York, incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul was pushed by her Republican challenger, Rep. Lee Zeldin, about soaring crime.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know why that&#8217;s so important to you,&#8221; Hochul said dismissively.
Bad answer. Very bad answer.
Democrats have long taken the black vote for granted — promising everything, delivering nothing — but the 2022 midterm election is a very different animal. This time around, blacks are furious about skyrocketing crime to the point where some are abandoning the Democratic Party.
Over eight in ten of black Democrats say violent crime is a &#8220;very important&#8221; issue in the 2022 election, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/10/31/violent-crime-is-a-key-midterm-voting-issue-but-what-does-the-data-say/">according</a> to a recent Pew survey of registered voters. That compares to just 33% of white Democrats. &#8220;Black Americans have consistently been more likely than other racial and ethnic groups to express concern about violent crime, and that remains the case this year,&#8221; the pollsters <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/methods/2020/09/08/democrats-made-gains-from-multiple-sources-in-2018-midterm-victories/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
In the last midterm elections in 2018, Democrats crushed Republicans among black voters. They won 92% of the black vote to just 6% for the GOP. But things are changing this time around. &#8220;Now 40% of Hispanics and 21% of Blacks are backing the Republican candidate,&#8221; <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/10/27/republicans-resurgent-economy-midterms/10596369002/">according</a> to a USA Today/Suffolk University poll.
Those numbers are huge — black support is up 15 points from 6% in the last midterms to 21%, and Hispanic support jumped 15 points to 40%.
Even The New York Times sees the writing on the wall.
&#8220;Mr. Zeldin could win because independents are siding with Republicans on crime and inflation rather than with Democrats, whose concerns over protecting democracy take precedence,&#8221; former Clinton adviser Mark Penn <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/opinion/lee-zeldin-kathy-hochul-governor.html">wrote</a> in an opinion column for the Times this week.
Hochul&#8217;s response at the debate shows just how out of touch Democrats are. And in an interview with Al Sharpton on MSNBC she dismissed the issue once again. &#8220;These are master manipulators,&#8221; she said of Republicans. &#8220;They have this conspiracy going all across America trying to convince people in Democratic states that they’re not as safe. Well guess what? They’re also not only election deniers, they’re data deniers.&#8221;
Meanwhile, Democrats have misplayed their cards with Hispanics, too. The party has endlessly pushed transgender issues and drag shows in schools, but that&#8217;s a no-go for the huge voting bloc.
&#8220;A majority of Hispanic voters oppose drag queen performances for children and teachers promoting gender ideology in schools, according to a new WPA Intelligence-Visto Media poll obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller,&#8221; the news outlet <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2022/10/31/exclusive-hispanic-voters-oppose-drag-queen-kids/">reported</a>.
Opponents told the pollsters they find it &#8220;inappropriate&#8221; for teachers to push gender identity and sexual orientation with school children as young as 6, the polling data found. And 57% of Hispanics believe it’s also &#8220;inappropriate&#8221; to teach gender ideology to kids.
&#8220;Sixty-one percent of Hispanics believe it’s inappropriate for &#8216;drag queens to perform in front of children under 10 years old,'&#8221; according to the poll. Just 24% believe that drag queen performances for children are appropriate,&#8221; the Caller reported.
Other <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/10/27/republicans-resurgent-economy-midterms/10596369002/">polls</a> have found the predominantly Christian black and Hispanic blocs are not supportive of the gay and transgender issues being pushed by Democrats. And they’re not at all happy about the defund the police and no-bail practices spouted by liberals — mainly because in the cities, they’re the most affected by the policies.
But along with abortion, the death of democracy, and lies about Republicans planning to strip away Social Security, those are the issues Democrats have decided to focus on in Campaign &#8217;22.
They&#8217;re about to find out that was a colossal mistake.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 Special Event

Election 2022: Soft On Crime, Drag Queen-Loving Democrats Picked All The Wrong Issues This Time Around

Election 2022: Democrats Picked All The Wrong Issues This Time Around --Transgenders, Drag Queens 

black vote

Drag Queen story hour

Hispanics

Transgender

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city">New York</a> gubernatorial candidate locked in another endorsement Wednesday from a long-time New Yorker famous for standing in the middle of Time Square wearing only cowboy boots, a hat, and white briefs while serenading everyday crowds with his acoustic guitar hanging just low enough to create an illusion of nudity,
Robert John Burck, better known as the Naked Cowboy, was spotted in Times Square showcasing his new song about why he supports Zeldin’s bid to replace the state’s current Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Zeldin shared the video Wednesday on Twitter of The Naked Cowboy singing.
<blockquote>“Lee Zeldin for governor of New York.
This one-party democratic rule clearly doesn’t work.
Gonna restore law and order, repeal the cashless bail.
Fire all the woke DAs that won’t put these thugs in jail.
Reduce taxes and regulations. Build the economy. Before more wealthy New Yorkers take their tax dollars and flee.
Stop teaching CRT and gender-fluidity. Stick to math and science and the ABC’s.”
https://twitter.com/leezeldin/status/1587849329477267457?s=20&amp;t=oqRHHL_PPwicUgFJD13XWQ</blockquote>
Last week during a debate with Hochul, Zeldin focused on bail reform in the state as he consistently attacked Hochul for supporting it.
Zeldin attacked Hochul’s erstwhile support for cashless bail.
“Kathy Hochul supports cashless bail; as soon as it got implemented she was out bragging about it,&#8221; Zeldin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zeldin-attacks-hochul-for-supporting-cashless-bail">said</a>. “She chose the champion of the Defund the Police movement and the architect of cashless bail &#8230; we need to repeal cashless bail. … we need to make our streets safe again,”
“I’m running to take back our streets and to support unapologetically our men and women in law enforcement,” he added.
Hochul, who dismissed criticism of bail reform by insisting her GOP gubernatorial opponent, had created a “conspiracy” to make Americans feel they are less safe.
“Anyone who commits a crime under our laws, especially with the change we made to bail, has consequences,&#8221; Hochul said. &#8220;I don’t know why that’s so important to you.&#8221;
Zeldin has taken the lead against incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul in the New York governor’s race, according to a new poll by the Trafalgar Group.
The poll of 1,198 respondents was conducted from October 27-31, which showed Zeldin holds a lead of just under one point against Hochul in a race that has become a nationwide spectacle, with the top figures in both parties rallying with the two hopefuls as the race has become a toss-up.
Hank Berrien and John Rigolizzo contributed to this report.

Re-opening Continues Across Densely Populated New York And New Jersey Areas

Lee Zeldin Picks Up Key Endorsement – From The Naked Cowboy

New York City

Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lee-zeldin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lee Zeldin</a> has taken the lead against incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul in the New York governor’s race, according to a new poll.
The poll of 1,198 respondents, conducted by the <a href="https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/NY-General-Poll-Report-1031.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trafalgar Group</a> from October 27-31, showed that Zeldin holds a lead of just under one point against Hochul in a race that has become a nationwide spectacle, with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-republican-partys-big-guns-head-to-new-york-to-push-lee-zeldin-over-the-top-in-governors-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top figures</a> in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hochul-declares-herself-the-underdog-in-ny-gov-race-despite-leading-by-every-conceivable-metric" target="_blank" rel="noopener">both parties</a> rallying with the two hopefuls as the race has become a toss-up. The poll also comes after Zeldin picked up support from two key constituencies in New York City.
According to the poll, Zeldin leads Hochul, 48.4%-47.6%, with 4% of voters undecided. Notably, Democrats make up more than half the sample, and outnumber Republicans nearly two-to-one, 53.6%-27.5%. Independents made up the other 18.9%. But according to Pew Research, those numbers roughly track with the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/compare/party-affiliation/by/state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demographics</a> of the state, a likely indicator that even Democrats in the state are breaking heavily for Zeldin.
The poll follows recent events in New York City that could indicate Zeldin is making inroads with two communities that heavily favor Democrats.
On Friday, Zeldin attended an event hosted by the Bronx Bangladeshi community in Parkchester, <a href="https://bronx.news12.com/rep-lee-zeldin-visits-bronx-ahead-of-gubernatorial-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">News 12</a> reported. According to data from Pew Research, the U.S. is home to more than <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/fact-sheet/asian-americans-bangladeshis-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">208,000 Bangladeshi Americans</a>; New York City is home to some 93,000, far and away the largest population of Bangladeshis in the country. But Zeldin&#8217;s attendance at the event is especially notable because Bangladeshi Americans identify and vote overwhelmingly with Democrats. According to one exit poll from the <a href="https://www.aaldef.org/uploads/2020aaldefasianamericanvotereport.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund</a>, 80% of Bangladeshis are registered Democrats, and 91% voted for Joe Biden in 2020.
Then on Sunday, Zeldin received the endorsement of <a href="https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/2133770/another-huge-endorsement-leading-rabbanim-release-kol-koreh-urging-new-york-jews-to-vote-for-lee-zeldin-mike-lawler.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three prominent rabbanim</a> in New York City. In an announcement, rabbis Elya Ber Wachtfogel, Refoel Schorr, and Chaim Flohr urged their respective communities to support Zeldin, as well as New York Congressional candidate Mike Lawler, who is running against incumbent Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney, who also chairs the Democrats&#8217; Congressional campaign arm.
“The New York State government has now declared itself in charge of, and responsible for, the education of our precious sons and daughters. This situation, in and of itself, is a tremendous danger to the chinuch [education] of our children, and who knows where this will end,” the rabbanim stated in their letter.
The same day, Zeldin received the endorsement of the <a href="https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/featured/2133677/powerful-endorsement-zeldin-receives-powerful-backing-of-fjcc-massive-orthodox-jewish-voting-block-in-flatbush.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition</a>, which represents more than 200 Jewish synagogues and seminaries, and thousands of local Jewish residents. Zeldin has also secured endorsements from <a href="https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/general/2134041/watch-this-fox-news-announces-ywn-endorsement-of-rep-lee-zeldin.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yeshiva World News</a>, a prominent Jewish newspaper, and <a href="https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/2134382/huge-development-lee-zeldin-wins-support-of-4-major-hasidic-voting-blocs.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four major Hasidic Jewish voting blocs</a> in Boro Park, Brooklyn.
The endorsements from Jewish leaders are significant because Jewish voters also lean heavily Democratic. According to a study from Brandeis University, New York is home to nearly <a href="https://ajpp.brandeis.edu/documents/2020/JewishPopulationDataBrief2020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.6 million Jews</a>; the New York City metropolitan area is home to 1.3 million Jewish residents. Another study found that <a href="https://ajpp.brandeis.edu/documents/2020/ajpp-politicalreport-natlsummary-050422.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jewish voters in New York</a> support Democrats by a margin of 65%-27%. An exit poll from the liberal J Street PAC, via the <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/poll-jewish-voters-favored-biden-over-trump-77-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Times of Israel</a>, found that 77% of Jewish voters voted for Joe Biden, compared to just 21% who voted for Donald Trump.
The <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/governor/ny/new_york_governor_zeldin_vs_hochul-7749.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RealClearPolitics</a> average of polls currently has the race listed as a toss-up.

Congressman Lee Zeldin (C) attends the annual Columbus Day

Another Poll Shows Zeldin Leading Hochul, Gains Support From Group That Votes Overwhelmingly Democratic

Jewish

Polls

New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, who dismissed criticism of bail reform by insisting to GOP gubernatorial opponent Lee Zeldin, “I don&#8217;t know why that&#8217;s so important to you,” said on Sunday that the GOP had created a “conspiracy” to make Americans feel they are less safe.
Hochul made her remarks when she was <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/10/31/hochul-says-republican-crime-concerns-are-a-conspiracy/?utm_source=NYPTwitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialFlow&amp;utm_campaign=SocialFlow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interviewed</a> by MSNBC’s Al Sharpton.
“These are master manipulators,” she charged. “They have this conspiracy going all across America trying to convince people in Democratic states that they’re not as safe. Well guess what? They’re also not only election deniers, they’re data deniers. The data shows that shootings and murders are down in our state by 15% even in New York City, down 20% on Long Island where Lee Zeldin comes from, and it’s the Republican states, where they have almost no restrictions on guns, because of the abundance of guns people are killing each other with more frequency. The safer places are the Democratic states,” she claimed.
“Murders were down by 14% in New York City compared with last year, but all other major crimes <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/09/04/bad-guns-run-amok-as-summer-crime-surges-in-nyc/">were up</a> — including a 33% rise in robberies, police <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs-en-us-city.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statistics</a> show,” The New York Post noted.
Those statistics also showed an 11% increase in rape, a 14% increase in felonious assault, a 29% increase in burglary, and a nearly 39% increase in grand larceny.
Last week, Zeldin focused on bail reform in the state as he consistently attacked Hochul for supporting it.
Early in the debate, Zeldin attacked Hochul’s erstwhile support for cashless bail, saying, “Kathy Hochul supports cashless bail; as soon as it got implemented she was out bragging about it. She chose the champion of the Defund the Police movement and the architect of cashless bail, Brian Benjamin — yeah, that guy who got arrested and had to resign — that was her first big decision to make as lieutenant governor. We need to repeal cashless bail. &#8230; We need to make our streets safe again. I’m running to take back our streets and to support unapologetically our men and women in law enforcement.”
New York passed a major bail reform law in 2019 which barred cash bail unless there were a serious misdemeanor or felony. Defendants could not be held by judges based on whether the judge thought the defendant was dangerous. That law was reformed after public outcry in both 2020 and 2022.
Hochul had <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/24/new-york-democrats-bail-reform-00052207" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>, “We never said that the cause of crime in the state is because of bail reform. That is too simplistic. That is a political slogan.”
The NYPD <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/news/p00056/nypd-citywide-crime-statistics-july-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in August compared to July 2021, July 2022 found citywide shooting incidents had increased 13.4% and the number of murders citywide increased for the month by 34.3%.
That same month, Hochul <a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2022/08/08/hochul-defends-bail-reform-as-zeldin-challenges-her-on-crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>, “I will look at all the data. I’ve yet to see data that shows a correlation with a net increase in crime and the bail laws. Because it doesn’t exist in any other city.”
Later, Hochul mocked Zeldin for his focus on bail reform.
Zeldin prompted Hochul’s cavalier answer by declaring,  “I stated that the first day that I’m in office, I’m going to declare a crime emergency and suspend cashless bail and these other criminal laws because there is a crime emergency. My opponent thinks that right now, there’s a polio emergency going on but there’s not a crime emergency — different priorities that I’m hearing from people right now that are not being represented, from this governor who still to this moment, what are we, halfway through this debate? She still hasn’t talked about locking up anyone committing any crimes.”
“Anyone who commits a crime under our laws, especially with the change we made to bail, has consequences. I don&#8217;t know why that&#8217;s so important to you,” Hochul replied.
RELATED: <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/zeldin-attacks-hochul-for-supporting-cashless-bail/">Zeldin Attacks Hochul For Supporting Cashless Bail</a>

The 2022 Concordia Annual Summit – Day 2

Hochul Says GOP Has ‘Conspiracy’ To Make Americans Feel Unsafe

Hochul Says GOP Has 'Conspiracy' To Make Americans Feel Unsafe

Conspiracy Theory

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