New York Governor Kathy Hochul sharply criticized President Donald Trump on Tuesday for withholding nearly 40 percent of the state’s counterterrorism funding just days before the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Speaking alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and law enforcement officials at her Midtown Manhattan office, Hochul accused the Trump administration of abandoning New York by cutting $87 million from the $187 million allocated through the federal Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Grant Program.

The dispute originated last year when the Trump administration reduced federal law enforcement funding to New York. Although Trump later pledged to restore the full amount, the administration ultimately reinstated only $100 million. Officials said the withheld funds support crucial programs including bomb squads, emergency management, and hazardous materials teams throughout New York, including New York City and counties such as Nassau.

Hochul described the withholding of funds as “unprecedented, reckless and dangerous,” and warned it undermines homeland security efforts and public safety. “If you don’t release the counterterrorism funding, you’re betraying every family that lost someone on 9/11,” she said. New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell noted that the money sustains over 100 agency staff members vital to the city’s preparedness.

Mayor Mamdani echoed concerns about the financial shortfall but focused his criticism on the federal government broadly rather than singling out the president. He stressed the impact on frontline capabilities, including bomb squad operations, emergency communications, and radiological threat readiness. “There is no excuse for the federal government to leave the nation’s largest city to shoulder this burden alone,” Mamdani said.

The administration’s position, as expressed by the Department of Homeland Security through a FEMA statement, challenged Hochul’s claims by asserting that New York had yet to spend more than $300 million in existing homeland security funds. It also argued that New York traditionally received funding well above what risk-based formulas would allocate, suggesting the governor was overstating the issue and “manufacturing a funding crisis.”

Jen Goodman, a spokeswoman for Hochul, countered by stating that more than 99 percent of the homeland security grant money awarded to New York is used within the required timeline. She accused the Trump administration of “lying to cover up the fact that they are defunding the police.” Goodman emphasized New York’s status as the nation’s top terrorist target and called any reduction an insult to first responders.

The tension marks a significant shift in the relationship between Hochul and Trump. Previously, she worked to maintain cooperative ties with the president to secure support for New York’s infrastructure and safety priorities, including suggesting federal involvement in Penn Station renovations. However, Hochul’s vocal rebuke on counterterrorism funding signals a cooling of that dynamic, particularly as she faces a re-election challenge from Bruce Blakeman, a Nassau County executive aligned with Trump.

At a concurrent event, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin referenced the increase in immigration arrests in New York, attributing it to local leadership, including Hochul and Mayor Mamdani, whom he labeled as “liberal” and “socialist.” The exchange underscores heightened partisan tensions at a critical moment for federal-state collaboration on security matters.