As the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has made serious allegations against President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security. According to Hochul, the agency that was established in response to 9/11 has withheld 40% of New York State’s counterterrorism funds.

During a press conference, Hochul stated that the 40% equates to $87 million dollars. She accused President Trump of ‘defunding the police’ and recklessly endangering public safety as retaliation against a blue state. Hochul urged the president not to play politics with people’s lives but to release the funds owed to the state.

“Release the $87 million dollars you owe us,” Hochul said. “By not releasing these funds, you’re betraying families affected by 9/11 and every first responder who serves daily, along with every New Yorker who expects federal protection.”

Fox News Digital reported that they had contacted both the White House and the Department of Homeland Security for comments.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his frustration over the federal government’s refusal to provide the promised $87 million, which he describes as critical for public safety and emergency preparedness. This funding is necessary to support bomb squads, ensure effective internal communication for FDNY during catastrophic events, and equip first responders for radiological threats.

Mamdani emphasized, “There is no justification for the federal government to leave New York City, the nation’s largest city, to manage this burden on its own.”