UMVA has learned that a stunning public feud erupted on Saturday between President Donald Trump and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, with Trump forcefully rebuking Hochul's attempt to blame him for the crippling Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) strike.
The strike, which brought the nation's busiest commuter railroad to a grinding halt, has stranded hundreds of thousands of Long Island workers and families, inflicting severe economic damage on the region with estimated losses of tens of millions of dollars per day.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the strike was called by five unions representing over 3,500 workers, including engineers, signalmen, and machinists, after contract negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority failed to yield sufficient wage increases.
The dispute centers on issues like raises in 2026 and health care contributions, with union leaders expressing frustration over three years of stalled contract talks and two federal interventions that failed to produce a resolution.
Governor Hochul quickly pointed fingers at President Trump, claiming his administration "cut mediation short" and "accelerated" the strike, but Trump was having none of it.
In a scathing Truth Social post, Trump set the record straight, exposing Hochul's deflection attempt for what it is: a desperate bid to shift blame away from her own administration's incompetence.
Trump declared that he had "nothing to do" with the strike, stating, "Failed New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, a Dumacrat, just blamed ME for her Long Island Railroad STRIKE, when she knows, full well, that I have NOTHING TO DO WITH IT."
The President didn't hold back, offering Hochul unsolicited advice and suggesting that if she couldn't resolve the crisis, he would be happy to step in and "show her how to properly get things done."
Trump even floated the idea of Bruce Blakeman as a potential successor to Hochul, claiming that under his leadership, New York State would experience a turnaround marked by lower crime rates and reduced taxes.
The dramatic exchange has left many wondering how the crisis could have been allowed to escalate to this point, and what it will take to bring the LIRR back online.
