‘Tax the rich’ chants erupt as Gov Kathy Hochul speaks at Zohran Mamdani’s NYC rally

QUEENS, NEW YORK: Hecklers shouting “Tax the rich!” drowned out Governor Kathy Hochul as she took the stage at Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s packed mayoral rally in Queens on Sunday night, October 26. 

The chaos forced Mamdani to step in early to calm the crowd before the event could continue. Read on for the full story of what unfolded at the rally, and why people were chanting “Tax the rich.” Here’s the story behind it.

Protesters chant ‘Tax the rich’ at Kathy Hochul

Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, who endorsed Zohran Mamdani just days before the mayoral race, faced a rowdy audience at the sold-out New York Is Not For Sale rally on Sunday night, October 26. The 13,000-seat Forest Hills Stadium overflowed with supporters of the mayoral frontrunner and Democratic nominee, Mamdani, as left-wing heavyweights Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen Bernie Sanders took the stage in his support.

Despite previously expressing concerns about Mamdani’s “tax the rich” agenda, Hochul tried to stay on message amid relentless boos and chants.

“Right now, our city and our state and our country are under attack by Donald Trump and our Republicans in Washington,” Hochul declared from the stage, flanked by State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. “They’re literally not just taking a wrecking ball to the White House, they are taking a wrecking ball to our values, our people, our progress.”

Hochul continued to denounce the government shutdown, ICE raids in New York City, and the indictment of Attorney General Letitia James. As hecklers shouted over her remarks, she fired back, “Oh, you’re fired up, you’re fired up! Alright, I can hear you,” earning a brief round of cheers before the jeers returned. Growing impatient, she asked the crowd, “You want to see Zohran or not?”, mispronouncing his name in the process.

Struggling to finish her remarks, Hochul urged the audience to channel “that energy, that passion” into the 2026 midterm elections, finally winning a round of sustained applause.

Moments later, Mamdani stepped onto the stage ahead of schedule, hugged Hochul, and raised her hand in the air as the crowd cheered. He then greeted Stewart-Cousins and Heastie before escorting the governor offstage. 

Kathy Hochul rejects Zohran Mamdani’s proposal to raise taxes

In June 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul rejected Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s plan to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers, saying that high living costs are already driving people out of the state.

When asked in a TV interview whether she supported Mamdani’s proposal to increase income and corporate taxes, Hochul gave a firm answer: “No.”

“I’m not raising taxes at a time where affordability is the big issue,” Hochul told PIX11. Mamdani’s plan calls for a 2% income tax on New York City residents earning over $1 million a year and an increase in the corporate tax rate from 7.25% to 11.5%, matching New Jersey’s rate.

After the debate, Mamdani defended his proposal. “You can see in the budgets of both the (state) Assembly and the Senate, a desire to increase taxes on those who can afford it, to be able to pay for a better quality of life for everyone,” he told reporters.

Notably, Mamdani has not yet endorsed Hochul for re-election. During a recent mayoral debate with former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, Mamdani said he would decide whether to support Hochul only after the general election.

Hochul has repeatedly criticized Mamdani’s plan, arguing that higher taxes would make it even harder for New Yorkers to afford living in the state.