President Donald Trump backed fellow Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in his race against Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Democratic incumbent in the New York State gubernatorial race, during the president’s visit to Long Island. Trump, alongside Garden City-native FBI Director Kash Patel, newly sworn-in U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, and other local GOP officials, toured the Nassau County Police Academy Center for Training and Intelligence on Friday, Aug. 14. While critics of the administration protested outside, officials highlighted the FBI’s 2025 Crime Report that shows the largest year-to-year decrease ever in violent crime. “Hochul and the radical left stand with the gang members, child predators, violent felons,” Trump said. “We stand with hardworking New Yorkers, we stand with the great people of law enforcement.” Murder and non-negligent manslaughter decreased an estimated 18.1%, rape decreased an estimated 7.6%, robbery decreased an estimated 18.5%, aggravated assault decreased an estimated 7.2%, burglary decreased an estimated 15.8%, larcenies decreased an estimated 9.8%, and motor vehicle theft decreased an estimated 22.7%, according to the FBI report. Trump started his speech by saying the state "is going in a bad direction,' and that "we'll get Bruce [Blakeman] in there." The president called Blakeman his friend and a "great political leader,"while praising Nassau's rating as the safest county in the U.S. Trump continued on, calling Hochul a "nightmare for crime," bashing her policies revolving around no-cash bail, sanctuary cities, and providing immigrants with lawyers. The president called Blakeman a "common sense guy," and asked "Bruce, how could you lose to [Hochul]?' Trump called Blakeman onto the stage after roughly 40 minutes of speaking, where the county executive passionately thanked the president for the country's immigration enforcement policies. Trump later invited other Republican congress members and GOP candidates running for a House of Representatives seat in November. "Ladies and gentleman of Nassau County, the golden age is upon us,” Trump said. [caption id="attachment_369536" align="alignnone" width="700"] Trump spoke for over one hour during his Long Island visit. Photo from White House livestream[/caption] Patel and Blanche took the stage before Trump's hour-long speech, praising the president for his efforts towards fighting crime. Patel said "the American Dream is not a dream anymore, it's a reality," while adding that the president and the administration have worked on lowering crime rates across the country. He highlighted a 20% drop in homicides and a 20% drop in fatal drug overdoses nationwide. Blanche praised the Trump administration, saying that under his presidency, 170,000 criminals have been charged with crimes, 50,000 more than under the Biden administration over the same period of time. He also praised Blakeman, saying the county executive is "doing everything we need him to do," in supporting law enforcement and making Nassau safe. The Trump administration's presence in the region was met with harsh backlash as well, as multiple groups or protestors called the visit a photo-op. Over 100 Nassau County Democrats, including former New York City Council speaker and Lt. Gov. candidate Adrienne Adams, state Assembly Member Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont), state Sen. Siela Bynoe (D-Westbury), and Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages (D-Valley Stream), rallied in protest of Trump’s visit to the region. Adams criticized the county executive for being Trump’s "loudest cheerleader.” “Blakeman is embracing ICE’s aggression while Gov. Hochul is fighting to make sure local law enforcement is focused on keeping all of our communities safe,” Adams said. [caption id="attachment_369534" align="alignnone" width="525"] Lt. Gov. candidate Adrienne Adams at a protest in Uniondale. Photo by Casey Fahrer[/caption] Adams and other elected officials emphasized the importance of heading to the polls in November, while others against Trump denounced the president’s agenda. “We will not stand for fascism, we will not stand for corruption, and we will ensure that we stand in solidarity,” Michaelle Solages said. Protesters also pointed at the Trump administration’s actions on affordability, citing how the war in the Middle East has directly correlated to higher gas and grocery prices. “Government belongs to the people, not the wealthy insiders,” Rev. Ronald McHenry said. “You cannot claim to be American first when you put working families last,” Andrew Piddoubny, a Nassau County resident running as a Democratic candidate for the state Senate in District 5, said. [caption id="attachment_369533" align="alignnone" width="700"] Over one hundred protestors gathered Friday morning against Donald Trump and Bruce Blakeman. Photo by Casey Fahrer[/caption] [caption id="attachment_369535" align="alignnone" width="700"] Over one hundred protestors gathered Friday morning against Donald Trump and Bruce Blakeman. Photo by Casey Fahrer[/caption] Several other community organizations including the New York Communities for Change, New York Immigration Coalition, Así Vamos-NY, Working Peoples’ Liberation Corps- Long Island, Long Island Progressive Coalition, PSL-Long Island, Islip Forward, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, Long Island Immigrant Justice Alliance, Long Island Language Advocates Coalition, Make the Road Action, and SEIU LOCAL 1199 gathered in protest just before Trump’s tour. The visit comes as Blakeman trails Hochul by 20 percentage points in polls throughout the state, according to the latest Siena University poll, although those results show Blakeman only four points behind the governor on Long Island. Trump has been a longtime supporter of Blakeman, who the president endorsed back when Blakeman first ran for county executive in 2021. Blakeman entered the gubernatorial race a month after winning re-election last November with 55.6% of the vote, easily defeating Democratic Nassau County Legislator Seth Koslow. The president also backed Blakeman when U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) dropped out of the primary race in December, paving the way for Blakeman to be the GOP nominee in February. Trump and Blakeman have also been seen together on several occasions, including during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, where the two Republican politicians shared a suite. Blakeman’s politics as county executive have also echoed Trump’s orders as president, as Blakeman enacted the country’s first ban on masks after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2024, as well as banning transgender athletes from playing on women’s and girls’ sports teams on county property. Blakeman also paved the way for Nassau County’s partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to help arrest and deport local immigrants. The state's Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, included in the FY-2026-27 budget and scheduled to take effect on Aug. 25, prevents police agencies and correctional facilities from having agreements with ICE. “The safety of New Yorkers is our top priority,” Hochul and state Attorney General Letita James said in a joint statement hours before Trump arrived. “That’s why New York passed these laws, why we will enforce them, and why we will continue standing up to federal overreach. Our job is to enfo...

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