Trump Complains About NY Gov Blaming Him for Railroad Strike, Says He Can Solve After Hearing About It for First Time That Morning

President Donald Trump speaks as he visits the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to see the new blue protective coating being applied as part of a renovation project, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump blasted New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) for blaming him and his administration for the current Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) strike.

On Truth Social on Saturday, Trump lashed out at the “failed” Hochul and suggested he could solve the current strike, despite saying he’d only been informed about the situation that morning. He told the governor to “call” him if she can’t get it done because he knows “the players.”

The president wrote:

Failed New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, a Dumacrat, just blamed ME for her Long Island Railroad STRIKE, when she knows, full well, that I have NOTHING TO DO WITH IT – never even heard about it until this morning. She just blurted out, “it’s President Trump’s fault.” No, Kathy, it’s your fault, and now looking over the facts, you should not have allowed this to happen. If you can’t solve it, let me know, and I’ll show you how to properly get things done. This would be an easy one for BRUCE BLAKEMAN. He should be your next Governor and New York State would turn around fast, including far less Crime, and much lower taxes!!! Kathy, call me if you can’t do it, I will get it done – I know all the players, great people!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Hochul has blasted Trump and the National Mediation Board over the strike, saying the board cut the mediation process off early.

“The reckless actions of the Trump administration’s National Mediation Board pushed this dispute toward a strike instead of keeping talks on track. Make no mistake, this is a strike encouraged by Donald Trump and enabled by his allies in Washington. I remain incredibly frustrated with the continued inaction and silence of Long Island’s two Republican members of Congress,” the governor wrote in a September press release.

The strike affects approximately 300,000 daily commuters. Workers are demanding a 5% wage increase as well as a retroactive 9.5% pay increase to cover cost of living increases in the last three years. Hochul has warned that meeting the demands on the table could lead to take hikes and increasing fare costs.

“I believe a deal can be done and I urge both the MTA and these unions to return to the table and bargain non-stop until a deal is reached,” Hochul said after a deal was not reached by the deadline of midnight, May 16.

In her latest statement, Hochul again placed blame on Trump’s administration.

“The disruption that Long Islanders face starting tonight is the direct result of reckless actions by the Trump Administration to cut mediation short and push these negotiations toward a strike,” she wrote. “For weeks, the MTA has attempted to negotiate in good faith and put multiple fair offers on the table that included meaningful wage increases, but you cannot make a deal if one side refuses to engage in good faith.”

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!