Latest news with #TrumpMadisonSquareGardenRally
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hochul denounces ‘unacceptable' taping of swastikas on Albany GOP headquarters
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Thursday denounced the vandalization of the state GOP headquarters in Albany. Police say an individual taped swastikas and a message that read, 'If this is not what you stand for, prove it,' on the building's doors and windows overnight. 'This is unacceptable. No one should ever resort to violence or vandalism to make a political point,' Hochul wrote in a post on the social platform X. 'Grateful for the swift response of the Albany Police Department to keep this location safe and hold those responsible for this despicable act accountable,' she added. Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) appeared to blame Democrats for allegedly motivating the crime with political rhetoric. 'New Yorkers haven't forgotten that New York Democrats viciously and dangerously compared last year's successful Trump Madison Square Garden Rally to Nazis and called President Trump 'Hitler,'' she wrote in a post on Facebook, accompanied with images of the property. 'Americans rejected this dangerous rhetoric and overwhelmingly elected President Trump at the ballot box. And now less than a year later, the New York Republican State Committee Albany State headquarters was criminally vandalized with Nazi symbols. We must ensure this dangerous rhetoric stops and this vicious criminal who perpetrated this heinous crime be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' she added. Her comments appeared to reference former Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's statements last October, when he compared President Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden to a 1939 pro-Nazi event. State GOP Chair Ed Cox echoed her sentiments, urging New York Democrats to condemn violent crime, which they later did. 'A vandal duct taped swastikas to our doors and windows — symbols of genocidal evil, meant to intimidate and silence,' he said in a statement. 'This is not only an attack on our party, it is also an attack on the values of civil discourse, democracy and decency,' he added. The New York Democratic Party shared their concerns in a statement following Cox's lead. Democrats dealt with similar issues of violence during last year's presidential campaign, forcing them to close their field office in Tempe, Ariz., after three shooting incidents. 'Hate has no place in our communities, and the New York State Democratic Party unequivocally condemns this shameful and inappropriate act,' the statement said. 'We encourage New Yorkers across the political spectrum to denounce hate in all its forms.' Police have not yet apprehended the suspect responsible for the Albany GOP headquarters crime. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Albany Republican Headquarters vandalised with swastikas
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Police are investigating after a vandal taped three swastikas to the front of the New York State Republican Party headquarters in Albany overnight. The incident took place at 315 State Street, where the Republican State Committee is based. More Local News Albany Police Department Public Information Officer Megan Craft said officers responded to the scene around 9:30 a.m. and confirmed a report had been filed. No arrests have been announced, but Craft said the investigation is ongoing. The swastikas were apparently printed on standard letter-sized paper and duct-taped to the front window, the front door, and the building's front sign. A sign taped below the swastika on the door read, 'If this is not what you stand for, prove it.' A chalk message written on the sidewalk in front of the building read, 'Return Kilmar Now!' With no apparent ties to New York, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a Maryland man mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador under the Trump administration. The Supreme Court directed the administration to facilitate his return, though the administration insists his gang affiliations made the deportation legitimate. Abrego Garcia's lawyers argued that there is no evidence of him breaking any law. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State The New York Republican Party has called it a vile act of political vandalism. 'We must ensure this vicious criminal who perpetrated this heinous crime be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' said House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, rumored to be pursuing the Republican nomination for governor. 'New Yorkers haven't forgotten that New York Democrats viciously compared last year's successful Trump Madison Square Garden Rally to Nazis and called President Trump 'Hitler. Americans rejected this dangerous rhetoric and overwhelmingly elected President Trump at the ballot box. And now, less than a year later, the New York GOP Albany State headquarters was criminally vandalized with Nazi symbols.' 'This is not only an attack on our party, it is also an attack on the values of civil discourse, democracy, and decency,' party chair Ed Cox said. 'Governor Hochul, Attorney General James, and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand must speak out clearly and unequivocally regarding the rising danger of left-wing violence.' Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt condemned the act and the message behind it. 'The cowards who defaced Republican Party Headquarters with swastikas aren't just hateful—they're historically illiterate,' he said. Like Stefanik, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay linked the vandalism to political rhetoric during the 2024 presidential campaign. 'Democrats spent months and millions calling Donald Trump 'Hitler' and predicting the end of America,' he said. 'Their strategy failed miserably at the ballot box but unfortunately managed to inspire this kind of inexcusable behavior.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
