Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor, will appear with President Donald Trump on Friday as top law enforcement officials tout what they say is a nationwide decrease in violent crime.
Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel are also expected to appear with the Republican president, the White House said. Blakeman, who has previously appeared with Trump and often showcases their relationship, said earlier this week he was “grateful” the president was visiting.
Trump is also planning a rally with law enforcement officers at the Nassau County Police Academy. The optics of the event dovetail with the public safety arguments Blakeman has made in his campaign against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Blakeman and Trump both attacked recently enacted state bail and sanctuary laws that have led to some high-profile offenses.
“Unlike Defund-the-Police Democrats, President Trump will always stand with our law enforcement officers and deliver safer American neighborhoods,” White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said.
Hochul has increased state funding for law enforcement initiatives, including new information-sharing centers and extra NYPD patrols on subways. Her campaign has frequently attacked Blakeman’s association with Trump.
“Donald Trump and Bruce Blakeman, literally campaigning side by side this week, are showing New Yorkers what this race is all about: a governor who’s protecting our healthcare, investing billions in public safety, and standing up to Trump’s endless attacks, or a MAGA fanboy who'd rather be at Mar-a-Lago right now,” Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said.
A Siena University poll released Wednesday showed Hochul leading Blakeman among likely voters surveyed, 49% to 39%. The incumbent governor trailed other Democrats on the statewide ticket, and Hochul’s lead narrowed as pollsters shifted their sample to include more Republicans and fewer New York City voters, matching likely voter turnout.
But the same survey showed a majority of New Yorkers view Trump — as well as his immigration enforcement policies — unfavorably.
“ Donald Trump has never been popular in New York, not before he ran for president, not while he was president the first time, not in between, and not now in his second term,” poll spokesperson Steve Greenberg said.
While Trump can help energize Republicans, Greenberg said the president won’t help Blakeman bring Democrats and independent voters into his coalition. That’s important because there are twice as many registered Democrats in New York as Republicans.
Blakeman said at a recent campaign stop in Albany that he has some areas of disagreement with the president, but they are generally in sync.
“We are completely allied together on the important things,” Blakeman said. “Kathy Hochul thinks that she's [facing] Donald Trump. She's running against me. Kathy Hochul doesn't run on her record.”
The event is expected to begin around 1:30 p.m.
