Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul called for unity across New York State and the nation in the wake of escalating political violence. The Governor heeded the call for strength and resolution, urging leaders from both parties to have compassion and work toward a safer, more tolerant America.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

I want to take a moment to address what has been an incredibly difficult week in our country. Just yesterday, I was honored to stand on Sacred Ground - a place where we honored the lives of those lost 24 years ago on 9/11.

I want to use today, September 12, as an opportunity to talk about what happened on September 12, 2001, and I proudly recall America 24 years ago -- that in the face of unspeakable horror, our nation's greatest strength was its unity. And I recall how fellow New Yorkers and Americans just really felt bonded together, felt as one. And I'm calling on New Yorkers and Americans today, on this Sept. 12th, to harken back to that same sense of purpose - a unifying purpose.

At the time, we did not split into factions. We did not fight each other. We did not demonize political voices that differed from our own. And yet today, we face a very different threat - the rise of political violence right here at home. We've seen it in an assassination attempt on our President; the murder of Charlie Kirk; the brutal killing of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband; the firebombing of a Governor's residence, Josh Shapiro; and, of course, the violent attack in our Capitol on January 6.

These are not isolated incidents. They're really warning signs. And I say this because I do not want us to ever become desensitized to the shock and horror of each of these incidents. You can't shrug it off as the new normal. We can't allow it to escalate.

And yet just yesterday, institutions across our state and our nation were victims of swatting, threats, putting people on edge. We had seven Black colleges and dozens of Democratic offices here in the State of New York that had to be placed on lockdown after receiving threats.

I can tell you this was not the America of September 12, 2001, and it should not be the America of September 12, 2025. Let me say this loud and clear: Political violence has no place in America - zero. A democracy thrives on debate, not bloodshed. And as Governor, I know that words matter. It's not enough for leaders to condemn the violence after the fact. You must call out the reckless rhetoric that sparks it. New Yorkers understand this. We settle our differences at the ballot box. We cherish free speech, but we also demand responsibility because reckless words can lead to reckless acts.

And I think about the aftermath of the bloody violence that terrorized my hometown of Buffalo three years ago, driven by hate, hate speech, radicalization online. We took aggressive action from that day forward so we could identify threats and eliminate them, strengthening our red flag laws, expanding our threat assessment teams, and increasing monitoring of online threats - also, acknowledging that guns in the wrong hands and unchecked extremism online can often lead to devastating tragedy.

But, State policy alone is not enough. What we need now from leaders of every party, every community is restraint, respect and a little more compassion. That's why next week I'll be convening leaders from both parties for a security briefing and a candid conversation about how we can work together to turn down the temperature and prevent more violence, at least here in New York, because we cannot continue down this path. We cannot allow our political differences to obscure our shared humanity. We cannot surrender our common decency to the dark corners of social media. Vitriol is magnified, respectful debate is muted or non-existent, and where our enemies can spread disinformation, threats from abroad - seizing this moment to divide us.

It's real simple: At the end of the day, we're all Americans. And as broken as our nation can feel at times like this, I still believe to my core that the ties that bind us are much stronger than the forces that seek to tear us apart. Most of us, no matter where you fall on the political spectrum, we have the same dreams: a safe place for our kids, our work; have some fun; live with a sense of purpose and dignity.

So in this difficult, painful moment, let us strive to find common ground for those shared aspirations, because I know we sit down with our neighbors, look them in the eyes - we tend to see their decency and their humanity, and they in us. Let us listen before we speak. Let us think before we judge. Let us resolve to forge a safer, more tolerant world, not just for today, for our children and our grandchildren. That's the America I hold in my heart, and I believe it should exist in everyone's heart. We have work to do, but as always, New York is up for the challenge.

As again, we harken back to that unifying moment that defined us and the next generation to realize what we can do together when we're hit, taken aback, see horror, and the next day - and today is the next day we come together.

Contact the Governor's Press Office