Audio & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Is a Guest on CNN This Morning

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on CNN This Morning.

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

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

Omar Jimenez, CNN: You met with Tom Homan earlier this year, as I understand, and in response to some of the provisions in this soon-to-be-signed Budget, in an interview with the Washington Examiner where he said he's working on a plan when he was asked whether New York could see any sort of crackdown. And I wonder, have you heard from Homan recently at all? And if not, what is your message to him?

Governor Hochul: My message is, "Do what President Trump said." President Trump told me, in a room full of governors, that he'll only have a surge of ICE in New York if I, as Governor Kathy Hochul, ask him to do it. And I said, "That request is never coming." I can handle law enforcement. We've got NYPD. I have State Police. We have all the resources we need to keep our streets safe.

People that are going about working in pizzerias or home healthcare aides or working in construction or contributing to society, creating jobs, have been here 20, 30 years. They're here. They're part of our family, and I don't think that they should be intimidated by ICE agents coming in with masks.

Omar Jimenez, CNN: President Trump cited some of these immigration efforts when he was here in New York recently, saying you should watch yourself in the race for Governor this year. What is your relationship with the Trump Administration or President Trump right now?

Governor Hochul: Well first of all, I will never be intimidated by anyone, President or not. Now, I've tried to have a productive relationship when it comes to ways that we can work to help New York State. For example, let's redo Penn Station. I'll work with the President on that. I'll work on bringing new energy sources like nuclear. I need the federal government's help to help us drive our innovation economy. So there are areas where we can work together. But you threaten me? That doesn't work well for me.

Omar Jimenez, CNN: She also responded to the new rule that was announced by the Department of Homeland Security that to apply for a green card, you have to do so from outside of the country, and she told me she was concerned, one, that it would separate people that are married, potentially send one person to another country. But also that she believes it would cause the United States to lose a generation or two of of innovators and people that she believes have been welcome in New York for a long time.

[...]

Omar Jimenez, CNN: We talked about a lot of things, including a set of policies that she believes would push back against President Trump's, as she described, overreach of ICE. But we also talked about what is set to be a first-in-the-nation policy, as she described, on 3D-printed firearms, which obviously has been a growing issue in places across the country. But New York would be newly requiring 3D printer manufacturers to be equipped with technology that blocks the printers from actually printing 3D firearms or the components as well. Take a listen to some of what she told me.

But why do you believe that this was the best method to go about handling that issue?

Governor Hochul: Because 3D printers are now turning into a way to create weapons of mass destruction. And you and I spoke about the Buffalo massacre.

Omar Jimenez, CNN: Yeah.

Governor Hochul: My hometown. The anniversary was just last week, of 10 people slaughtered by a weapon of mass destruction. I don't think that people should be able to turn their kitchen table into a munitions factory using a 3D printer legally purchased to create guns that can slaughter other human beings. So when I know that the criminals are trying to find another way to skirt our background checks and our bans on assault weapons, I'm finding a way to get ahead of them as well. And I think other states should look at this.

Omar Jimenez, CNN: Are you monitoring people who might be using this technology to create these weapons, or is it an after-the-fact penalty that if you were caught with a 3D printed weapon from one of those printers, there's an added sort of penalty?

Governor Hochul: No, there's both.

Omar Jimenez, CNN: Okay.

Governor Hochul: We'll work with the companies to say, "Don't allow these to be sold in the State of New York," right?

Omar Jimenez, CNN: And are you optimistic they'll agree with you on that?

Governor Hochul: Yes. Yes, because it's in their interest. Again, our liabilities laws are such that someone whose family member is killed with something that your 3D printer allowed to be manufactured in someone's home - I guarantee that some lawyer is going to say you're responsible for that.

Omar Jimenez, CNN: If it's a crime to share or distribute the 3D printer files, for example, how do you ensure it doesn't sweep up journalists like myself, researchers, people who are looking at the technology and might not be using it to print an actual firearm?

Governor Hochul: Certainly that's an argument they can make if they're arrested to say, "I was doing research on this." But more likely, we're going to find someone who has a munitions factory in their living room or their house, and I want to stop that.