In an eyebrow-raising moment, New York Governor Kathy Hochul took to MSNBC over the weekend to label those who vote Republican as “anti-American.”
Just days before the presidential election, Hochul made her message clear: if you support Republican candidates, then you’re somehow against the country. Now, think about that for a second. If that’s her definition of “unity,” it’s no wonder her opponents are left shaking their heads. In fact, her comments sound less like a rallying cry for American values and more like the tired rhetoric we’ve come to expect from Democrats who can’t seem to find a way to relate to anyone outside their base.
The story starts with Hochul’s interview on PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton, where she doubled down on her disdain for Trump supporters and Republicans in general. After discussing a comedian’s insult aimed at Trump during a rally, Hochul used it as a springboard to castigate every Republican candidate and voter in her state.
“It gave me a chance to tie the Republicans running in these seats, the incumbents, closer to Donald Trump,” she said, adding that she wanted to “remind everybody, if you’re voting for these Republicans in New York, you are voting for someone who supports Donald Trump, and you’re anti-woman, you’re anti-abortion, and basically you’re anti-American,” she said, in a sweeping generalization that leaves no room for differing viewpoints.
It’s worth noting that Hochul’s broad-brush attack comes just a week after President Biden called Trump supporters “garbage.” Apparently, the new Democratic tactic is to equate voting Republican with being “Nazi-loving, anti-American garbage”—a sentiment that doesn’t quite fit with the idea of an inclusive democracy.
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) put it best when he took to X (formerly Twitter) to slam Hochul’s statement, sarcastically dubbing it the Democrats’ “campaign of joy.” He pointed out the absurdity of Hochul’s tactic: reducing millions of Americans to “anti-American garbage” just because they support a different political philosophy.
Quite the closing message from the so called campaign of joy: If you don’t vote Democrat, you are Nazi, Hitler loving, anti-American garbage. pic.twitter.com/pbz47BSOwO
— Lee Zeldin (@LeeMZeldin) November 3, 2024
Hochul’s comments are part of a larger pattern in which Democrats appear more comfortable dividing the country than trying to understand why half the country disagrees with them. Instead of a spirited debate on policy or principles, we get accusations of treason and personal attacks, as if that’s going to win anyone over. When Hochul talks about Republicans being “anti-woman” and “anti-abortion,” she ignores that even in New York, there are plenty of people with diverse views on these issues, including pro-life Democrats who don’t fit neatly into her narrative. Yet, according to Hochul, these voters must be “anti-American.”
The real irony here is that it’s statements like Hochul’s that come across as out of step with American values. Our country was founded on the idea that people have the right to choose their own leaders and hold their own views without fear of demonization. Hochul’s words suggest that only one political viewpoint is valid in her version of America, which couldn’t be further from the ideals of liberty and freedom of thought that this country was built on.
I don’t understand the angst & hysteria. MAGA Republicans have been called vile names and viciously harassed & censored for years. We don’t attack candidates like that. We aren’t the same! https://t.co/0NUAW7KSkM
— Jackie Jones (@JackJ3685) August 23, 2024
So if Hochul thinks it’s “anti-American” to vote Republican, maybe she should take a second look at what being “American” actually means. Democracy isn’t about name-calling and broad-brush accusations; it’s about respecting differences and working toward a better future together, even when we disagree.
