New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Sunday that she did not know if she was “very persuasive” in convincing President Trump to reverse course on banning congestion pricing in New York City, after a one-on-one meeting with him on Friday. Congestion pricing is just one facet of the Trump administration’s clash with New York State. The Department of Justice is widely believed to be extorting New York City Mayor Eric Adams into complying with the president’s mass deportation policy under threat of federal indictment, while lawyers for New York City are also suing the Trump administration over $80 million in funding for migrant services clawed back by the federal government. Nonetheless, Hochul struck a conciliatory tone regarding the president when speaking with CBS News on Sunday, asserting her state’s interests in some instances but also on giving way on some of Trump’s key issues.
Hochul told CBS’s Margaret Brennan that it “wasn’t an adversarial meeting” on Friday despite the many points of tension, as she sought to bring the president around on congestion pricing. The program, which involves a $9 toll for vehicles at peak hours below 60th street in Manhattan, has been in effect for less than two months. “I wanted to take my case to him directly and let him see the benefits of this program,” the governor said, adding that she explained to Trump all of the positive effects it has had so far, like improving air quality and easing gridlock. The program is also crucial to the financing of much-needed repairs to the city’s subway system. “I don’t know that we’re very persuasive on that front,” Hochul said, reiterating her announcement earlier in the week that the state would seek redress in federal court.
Trump had announced the move to deny federal approval for congestion pricing earlier in the week, writing in a post on Truth Social (a social media platform that he owns): “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” The president’s comments were then reposted on X (owned by Trump’s top political donor, Elon Musk) from the White House’s official account on X, along with AI-generated artwork of Trump wearing a crown. Governor Hochul said she has “a problem with that characterization,” and that New Yorkers were not interested in living under a monarchy.
Despite her stated opposition on this front, Hochul appeared more conciliatory on others, saying that the state will “work with” Trump on immigration, and the state “does not dispute” that the administration is focused on violent criminals in its deportation efforts. Trump has often linked immigration with violent crime despite the crime rate being lower among immigrant populations than those born in the country, but even setting aside violent criminals, administration officials have made clear that their mass deportation effort operates on the premise that being an undocumented migrant is itself a criminal act worthy of deportation. “If you’re in the country illegally, you’ve got a problem and we’re looking for you,” Trump’s so-called “border czar” Tom Homan said last month on ABC News.
The governor said little regarding the ongoing scandal surrounding New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the Trump administration, saying that she did not address the matter when speaking to Trump. Hochul also did not bring up the issues regarding congressionally-approved funds being clawed back from the city’s coffers and the ensuing legal action taken by the city’s legal department.
The governor sidestepped the question when asked if she believed there was a quid pro quo between Adams and the Trump administration: “They created this perception. The reality I will never know,” she said. Trump’s DOJ dropped corruption charges against Adams two weeks ago without prejudice, meaning that they could be reinstated at any moment, at the department’s discretion. Danielle Sassoon, one of seven federal prosecutors who resigned in protest over the move, stated in her resignation letter that she had witnessed Adams’ lawyers negotiate a quid pro quo with the government in a meeting on January 31st, where they reportedly offered the mayor’s compliance on immigration policy in exchange for the indictment against him being dropped.
