Hochul to Trump: We Don’t Need Your National Guard Troops

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she told President Donald Trump there was no need for him to deploy the National Guard to New York City.

Hochul, a Democrat, told reporters Tuesday that crime rates are falling and she’s amended criminal justice laws that the Republican president has attacked. Hochul conveyed the message in a phone call with Trump on Saturday, a state official said.

“Our policies are working,” she said. “NYPD is doing their job. We did our job in the state Legislature to tighten up laws that had gone way too long, being loose and not protecting the people of the city and the state.”

Hochul in recent years has successfully pushed state lawmakers to give judges more discretion in setting bail in violent felony cases. This year, she pushed for changing the requirements for sharing evidence before criminal trials in a way prosecutors say will result in fewer cases being dismissed.

Hochul said she was “very gracious” in her conversation with Trump.

“I just said, ‘I’ll tell you what, Mr. President: If I think I need help from the National Guard beyond what I’m already doing, I know where to find you,’” she said.

Trump this month deployed the National Guard to the streets of Washington, D.C., in response to what he says are elevated crime rates. Federal statistics show crime is at a 30-year low in the area.

The president signed an executive order Monday to create a special unit of the guard that could be potentially deployed around the United States to assist local law enforcement “in quelling civil disturbances and ensuring the public safety and order whenever the circumstances necessitate.”

At a Tuesday Cabinet meeting, Trump said he gets along with Hochul and said he would send in troops if asked.

“New York has difficulty,” Trump said. “I don’t wanna make this bite, I wanna make this, like, friendly.”

National Guard units are composed of part-time personnel with a dual mission. They can be activated by the U.S. military to support operations overseas or be called up by state governors in local crises, including natural disasters.

Hochul has deployed the National Guard to the New York City subway system to deter crime and help with random passenger bag checks. She’s said it’s a different situation because she’s in charge of the New York National Guard and because the soldiers work closely with the NYPD.

The governor’s message to Trump is in line with a Monday conversation between NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Attorney General Pam Bondi. Tisch told Bondi the National Guard isn’t needed in the city, an NYPD spokesperson said.

NYPD officials said in June that shootings and homicides were trending lower in 2025 than previous years. The latest NYPD statistics show major crimes have fallen 4.7% so far this year, compared to 2024.

Story by Jimmy Vielkind/New York Public News Network

Image Credit: Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul