Gov. Kathy Hochul was berated by hecklers screaming \u201ctax the rich!\u201d as she took the stage at Zohran Mamdani\u2019s packed mayoral rally in Queens Sunday night, forcing the headlining candidate to come out early to quell the unrelenting crowd.<\/p>\n
The Democratic governor faced the rowdy audience at the sold-out \u201cNew York is Not For Sale\u201d rally at the 13,000-seat Forest Hills Stadium \u2014 a get out the vote event featuring lefty darlings Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders in support of the mayoral frontrunner and Democratic nominee.<\/p>\n
Hochul, who had recently endorsed Mamdani <\/a>for New York City mayor despite previously voicing concerns about his tax-the-rich policies<\/a>, attempted to stay on message during her surprise appearance despite the drowning boos and chants.<\/p>\n New York Governor Kathy Hochul was berated with \u201ctax the rich\u201d chants during a \u201cNew York is Not For Sale\u201d rally on Sunday. REUTERS<\/p>\n Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayoral candidate, speaks at the \u201cNew York is Not For Sale\u201d rally on Sunday. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, our city and our state and our country are under attack by Donald Trump and our Republicans in Washington,\u201d Hochul said from the stage, where she was flanked by state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re literally not just taking a wrecking ball to the White House, they are taking a wrecking ball to our values, our people, our progress,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She continued to rail against the government shutdown, ICE raids in the Big Apple<\/a>, and the indictment of Attorney General Letitia James.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOh, you\u2019re fired up, you\u2019re fired up,\u201d Hochul shot back at the hecklers as they continued to drown out her words.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cAlright. I can hear you,\u201d she said, bringing some brief cheers before audience members lobbed more jeers. <\/p>\n \u201cYou want to see Zohran or not?\u201d she asked impatiently, while mispronouncing his name. <\/p>\n One supporter wore a \u201cTax the Rich\u201d dress, made famous by AOC, to the rally on Sunday. NY Post\/William C Lopez<\/p>\n Hochul struggled to get through the rest of her remarks, ending with a final plea to take \u201cthat energy, that passion\u201d into 2026 midterm elections and at last earned persistent applause from the crowd.<\/p>\n Mamdani then walked onto the stage \u2014 well before his scheduled appearance as the final speaker \u2014 and hugged the governor, raising her hand in the air to cheers. He greeted Stewart-Cousins and Heastie before escorting Hochul off stage. <\/p>\n The packed crowd at the rally Sunday. Aristide Economopoulos<\/p>\n Mamdani has yet to endorse the governor for reelection. <\/p>\n During a mayoral debate against ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo \u2014 who\u2019s running as an independent \u2014 and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa earlier this month, the Democratic socialist said his decision whether to back Hochul would come only after the general election.<\/p>\n Hochul has previously ripped Mamdani\u2019s plan to impose a 2% income tax<\/a> on Big Apple residents who make more than $1 million a year and inflate the corporate tax from 7.25% to 11.5%, the same as New Jersey.<\/p>\n When Hochul was asked in a June interview if she backed Mamdani\u2019s plan to tax wealthy New Yorkers and up the corporate tax, she flatly replied, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n