New York Gov. Cathy Hochul was criticized for a “tone-deaf” tweet bragging about improving subway safety just hours after a straphanger was killed while sleeping on a Brooklyn train set on fire on Sunday.
Democratic leaders were forced to close the aisle after their office made a social media post celebrating a decline in subway crime despite a double stabbing on the Line 7 train in Queens that left one passenger dead. received explosions from both sides.
“In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who ride them every day,” Hochul said. X I wrote this on Sunday afternoon. It also includes photos of her on transit with law enforcement and passengers.
“Since deploying @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and @MTA's safety efforts and installing cameras in every subway car, crime is down and ridership is up.”
The tweet quickly went viral, including from U.S. Rep. Richie Torres, who has criticized his fellow Democrats in recent weeks and is eyeing a possible run for governor in 2026. It was.
“Two hours ago, Kathy Hochul took a victory lap for making the subway 'safer.' “She's celebrating herself on the same day two subway passengers were stabbed (one in the face, one in the chest) and another savagely burned alive in Queens,” he said. spoke. I wrote it to X.
“Has there ever been a more tone-deaf governor in the history of New York?”
Another Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Robert Holden, criticized Hochul's tweet, calling it “incredible timing.”
“Kathy Hochul's incompetence is costing lives. She needs to immediately resign from public office before more New Yorkers suffer,” he said. I wrote it to X.
Republicans also expressed outrage over the shocking uproar on social media.
“Are you kidding me??? Are you really posting this after a woman was set on fire and killed on a train in Brooklyn this morning and two people were stabbed (one died) on a train in Queens yesterday? ” said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis. Posted online.
Two fatal transportation accidents occurred just hours apart on Sunday morning.
In the first incident, a 37-year-old man was stabbed and a 26-year-old man was stabbed during an altercation with another train on the southbound No. 7 train at the 61st Street Woodside station around 12:30 a.m. of men were injured. Ryder, according to cops.
Police said a person of interest, who also suffered cuts, was taken into custody. No charges have been filed so far.
Then, around 7:30 a.m., a Guatemalan immigrant set fire to a subway passenger who was sleeping on an idling F train at the Coney Island-Stilwell Avenue station, police said.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and the suspect was arrested several hours later.
The governor's office did not immediately respond to an email Sunday night seeking comment on the criticized tweet.
However, she appeared to address this anger in two posts on Sunday night, claiming that road crimes were “too many”.
“The suspect in the horrific incident on the F train is now in custody. Our state-of-the-art security cameras helped law enforcement locate and apprehend the suspect. Proactive from @NYPDnews and @mtapd Thank you for your kind response,” she said. I wrote.
“Make no mistake about it. Even if crime on the subway has decreased, any crime is too much. We continue to increase staffing and resources to make the subway safer.”
