Bruce Blakeman
Role at the time: Nassau County Executive and Republican nominee for governor of New York, at the governor debate on Spectrum News NY1
Defended or excused
Statement summary
At the October 13 governor debate, Bruce Blakeman was asked whether he was comfortable with ICE's reported cuts to training, masked agents and long guns in a crowded urban environment. He asked what the man was doing in New York in the first place, called him a gangbanger, and said Hochul's sanctuary policies were why the shooting happened.
“the question that New Yorkers have to ask is what was this guy doing in New York in the first place? It's because Kathy Hochul has made us a sanctuary state. ... Kathy Hochul has taken that ability away from us. That's why things like this happen. ... it never would have happened but for your sanctuary policy.”