Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks About the Impact of Federal Tariffs on New Yorkers

Earlier today, Governor Hochul delivered remarks at the opening day of the New York State Fair about the disastrous impact federal tariffs on Canada have had on New Yorkers and the economy.

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: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

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

I do have more specific things to say. We probably should have started with the tariffs since I didn't know that was going to be a question. I do want to take a moment to address the disastrous impacts of federal tariffs on millions of everyday New Yorkers and how New Yorkers in our state and elsewhere are being slammed by them.

They're only getting worse because of the misguided war with Canada and this now threat of 50 percent tariffs on Canadian cars and trucks and auto parts and steel. This is doing nothing more than wreaking havoc on the American economy, all from his social media account. So it's basically taking money out of our pockets, your pockets, and raising costs for everyday New Yorkers just so the President can settle some personal scores.

Make no mistake, these diversionary tactics from the President trying to deflect his never-ending war with Iran, this is, again, another deflection. Let me take you back. The war with Iran was a deflection because questions around Jeffrey Epstein were getting too hot, so we go to war with Iran. Now the questions around Iran are getting too hot, so now we're going to war with Canada. See the pattern? This is going to do nothing more than make Americans' lives more painful, grocery prices, dairy prices, gas prices and energy prices.

Now, I'll take you back a little bit further in history. Remember prices were supposed to come down on day one. Promise. Promised that to the voters. Still waiting. In fact, they've only gone up. And the question has to be: Why are we unleashing literally a war on our best friends to the North?

As someone who grew up in Buffalo, I have a deep relationship with Canadians. They fill our stands. They come to our county fairs. They go to the Bills games, they go to the Bisons games, they go to Sabres games along the northern border. They're critical to the economy from Plattsburgh and beyond. The automotive infrastructure connections we have, the manufacturing up there, the farms. I know how critically important our economies are intertwined. And I was reflecting on the fact that in a little bit, I'm going to be cutting the ribbon on the Future Farmers of America new building.

So I think about those future farmers. How are we supposed to encourage young people to go into these careers that are essential for our very existence if they look at what their parents and their neighbors are going through and say, "Why? Why would I go into that? It just seems too hard." We have a federal government, at least the one that's in place now, that seems to be committed to making life more difficult and more expensive.

So those are the people I think about, those are the people I'm fighting for, and the fact that everything costs so much more, who's paying the price? Who's paying the price for these tariffs? It's not Donald Trump. Donald Trump made $2.2 billion since he became president. And tariffs, where's the refund for New Yorkers? You're taking care of your big corporate friends, but we've estimated that New Yorkers - at least up until now, and it's going to get higher - are owed $1,700 per family because of the Trump tariffs that were declared illegal by the Supreme Court of the United States.

So let me close with this. Remember the slogan "America First"? We weren't supposed to be first in suffering. We weren't supposed to be first in higher gas prices. We weren't supposed to be first in higher grocery prices. We weren't supposed to be first in higher utility prices, but that's the state of affairs in 2026. I'm calling on Americans to help us do something about it.