Hochul Awkwardly Spins ‘Tax the Rich’ Heckling at Mamdani Rally Into Buffalo Bills Cheer

Governor Kathy Hochul’s appearance at Zohran Mamdani’s “New York is Not For Sale” rally quickly turned uncomfortable when she was drowned out by chants of “tax the rich.” Instead of addressing the pointed heckling directly, Hochul attempted an odd deflection by insisting she thought the crowd was cheering for the Buffalo Bills.

“I thought they were saying ‘Let’s go Bills,’” Hochul told a reporter when asked about the chants. “I wasn’t sure… I heard some noise, I heard a lot of cheers. But later on it became clear to me, I know there is a passion for that.”

The event, held at Forest Hills Stadium, featured progressive icons Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders rallying support for Mamdani’s campaign. Hochul’s presence, and her endorsement of Mamdani, underscored the Democratic Party’s internal rift with her own discomfort around his tax-the-rich platform on full display.

Despite being heckled, Hochul attempted to reframe the moment as a show of enthusiasm.

“I love the energy out there, I told them that,” she said during a press conference the next day. “What I want to do is bottle all that up and use it in a few days.”

Critics, however, saw the governor’s explanation as tone-deaf and dismissive, highlighting her struggle to connect with the party’s activist base while trying to keep her own political footing. By dragging the Buffalo Bills into the mix, Hochul fueled speculation that she understood the crowd’s message but chose to ignore it.

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Hochul Awkwardly Spins ‘Tax the Rich’ Heckling at Mamdani Rally Into Buffalo Bills Cheer