Kathy Hochul oddly drags Buffalo Bills into 'tax the rich' chant that overwhelmed her appearance at Zohran Mamdani rally

Governor Kathy Hochul attempted to deflect from the "tax the rich" chants directed at her during a rally for Zohran Mamdani by claiming she initially mistook them for cheers for the Buffalo Bills football team. When questioned by a reporter, she stated, "I thought they were saying 'Let's go Bills,'" and later acknowledged she realized the actual nature of the chants, indicating an awareness of the underlying passion for taxing the wealthy.

The incident occurred at the "New York is Not For Sale" rally, which featured prominent left-wing figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, underscoring a division within the Democratic Party. Hochul had delayed endorsing Mamdani for mayor after his primary win, primarily due to concerns over his tax-the-rich policies, emphasizing her focus on affordability without tax increases and signaling potential opposition to such measures in Albany.

Despite their disagreements, Hochul eventually endorsed Mamdani in September, citing common ground on issues like universal childcare, a key part of Mamdani's platform estimated to cost $6 billion. While Mamdani advocates taxing the rich to fund this, he has expressed openness to other funding sources, whereas Hochul insists on finding funds without raising taxes, reflecting ongoing tension over fiscal approaches.

Following criticism from Mamdani's supporters, Hochul addressed the "tax the rich" issue vaguely, calling it a "popular phrase" but stressing the need for practicality in governance. A spokesperson did not clarify whether her initial claim about the Bills chant was meant as a joke, leaving the situation ambiguous.