Trump in Syracuse: attacks on Hochul and a $5,000 promise
At a rally for gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, Trump courts New York and promises a “Trump Dividend”. Hochul's camp calls it “a fitting farewell”.
Archive image · Photo: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
U.S. President Donald Trump campaigned on Friday evening in Syracuse, New York, for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman. In an arena with seating for several thousand supporters, he sharply attacked Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul and urged New Yorkers to vote her out. Trump claimed Blakeman would cut electricity bills by 70 to 90 percent, broadcaster WRGB reported.
Trump also promised every adult a $5,000 payment if Republicans win the House and Senate in the 3 November midterm elections, calling it the “Trump Dividend”. He called for voter ID, said electing Blakeman would lead to a ban on so-called sanctuary cities and attacked New York Attorney General Letitia James. Blakeman addressed Thursday's shooting involving immigration agency ICE in New York City and blamed Hochul's sanctuary policies.
Several protesters were removed from the arena; Trump called them “paid”. A Hochul spokesperson afterwards called the rally “a fitting farewell” to a campaign that had stayed closely aligned with Trump all year. The congressional district around Syracuse voted for the Democratic candidate in each of the last three presidential elections.