New York officials, including Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have publicly criticized former President Donald Trump for allegedly failing to deliver $87 million in promised federal homeland security funding. The accusation comes nearly a year after Trump stated on Truth Social that he had reversed cuts to New York's counterterrorism budget.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Hochul stated that New York remains $87 million short of the funding, which she asserts Trump had promised to restore. "Shame on you for withholding this money, not delivering it to me right now, 10 days before we honor those lives that were lost on 9/11," Hochul said, adding that Trump is "defunding the police."
The funding is critical for counterterrorism efforts, including cybersecurity, K-9 units, bomb squads, and the National Guard, according to Terrence O’Leary, commissioner of the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. He emphasized the need for this federal support, noting that "terror is an international issue" but responders are local.
However, a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) countered the claims, stating that New York has not utilized all the federal homeland security funds already allocated to it. "Governor Hochul is manufacturing a funding crisis despite New York sitting on more than $300 million in UNSPENT federal homeland security funding," the FEMA spokesperson said.
Despite the FEMA statement, Mamdani asserted the urgent need for the remaining funds for emergency preparedness. He highlighted the importance of the money for supporting bomb squads across New York and ensuring effective communication and response capabilities for the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) in the event of a catastrophic attack. Mamdani also mentioned the necessity of the funding for protecting New Yorkers from radiological threats, providing first responders with adequate training and equipment.
The dispute stems from a $187 million cut to New York's federal homeland security and counterterrorism grant allocation in September 2025. After a federal judge ordered a revision of grant awards, New York reportedly recovered approximately $100 million. Trump's subsequent Truth Social post on October 3, 2025, announced the reversal of these cuts.
Hochul indicated that while she spoke with Trump when the cuts were initially announced, subsequent communications have been through the Department of Homeland Security. Addressing Trump directly through the media, she urged him, "Don’t play political games with people’s lives. Release the $87 million you owe us. Because if you don’t release the counterterrorism funding, you’re betraying every family that lost someone on 9/11."