President Donald Trump traveled to Syracuse, New York, on Friday to stump for Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman in a race that highlights broader tensions within the GOP.
Trump called on New Yorkers to remove Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and took direct aim at the state attorney general, calling her “totally corrupt sidekick, Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James.”
Speaking to roughly 5,000 attendees at a downtown Syracuse convention center, Trump delivered a blunt assessment of the state’s condition.
“Your city and state are dirty, filthy places, and everybody wants to leave,” Trump told the crowd, speaking from a venue he noted was “a short distance from the beautiful shores of Lake America.”
Trump pledged that Blakeman would fix the state’s problems, saying, “You gotta get your act together, and I tell you what, Bruce Blakeman will get your act together.”
Trump also attacked Hochul’s energy record, claiming, “Since Hochul took office, she’s raised your utility rates 48 times, and energy prices in New York have skyrocketed 100 percent,” and promising dramatic relief under Blakeman.
“If Bruce Blakeman gets in, he will cut your electric bills by 70, 80, 90 percent,” Trump told supporters, drawing loud applause from the partisan crowd inside the convention hall.
The visit underscores a political dilemma facing Republicans nationally, as Trump remains a powerful base motivator even as his overall popularity with independents and swing voters continues to erode.
Democratic Rep. John Mannion, who represents the Syracuse area, offered a ground-level view of that tension, saying, “This is supposed to be a swing district. And the feedback I get is that the president is very unpopular.”
Mannion acknowledged that Trump’s core following remains intact but noted a measurable shift since 2024, saying, “He still certainly will have his core base of supporters, but I do think he’s lost support here compared to what he had around the 2024 election.”
Marist University pollster Lee Miringoff suggested Trump’s travel schedule is deliberately calculated, noting, “The targeting of where the president goes is not a random exercise. They’re looking to stir the base without stirring the opposition.”
A Marist poll released this week shows Hochul leading Blakeman by 11 points, though she is losing ground among independent voters who could prove decisive in November.
The Republican field for the New York governor’s race looked considerably different before Trump intervened, with Elise Stefanik initially expected to mount a strong candidacy before unexpectedly dropping out in December.
Mike Lawler, who holds a competitive congressional seat in New York’s Hudson Valley, had also been exploring a statewide run before Trump endorsed him for House reelection, a move widely interpreted as a signal to stay in Congress.
With both Stefanik and Lawler out of the picture, Trump moved quickly to back Blakeman, consolidating Republican support around a candidate still facing a significant polling deficit against the incumbent governor.
