New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul took a swipe Wednesday at President Donald Trump's praise for his administration pulling federal approval of a congestion pricing plan that began Jan. 5 in parts of Manhattan.
In a Truth Social post shortly after the U.S. Department of Transportation Highway Division pulled the plug on the toll plan, Trump wrote: "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
The last part of Trump's post appeared to strike a nerve with Hochul.
"We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king," she said in a statement. "The MTA [Metropolitan Transportation Authority] has initiated legal proceedings in the Southern District of New York to preserve this critical program. We'll see you in court."
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the toll program by saying it "leaves drivers without any free highway alternative, and instead, takes more money from working people to pay for a transit system and not highways."
The toll ranged from $4.50 for motorcycles to $9 for passenger vehicles, and up to $21.60 for large trucks that enter a zone south of 60th Street in Manhattan. That was on top of tolls drivers paid for crossing various bridges and tunnels to get to the city, although there was a credit of up to $3 for those who paid to enter Manhattan through certain tunnels during peak hours.
"Public transit is the lifeblood of New York City and critical to our economic future — as a New Yorker, like President Trump, knows very well," Hochul said. "Since this first-in-the-nation program took effect last month, congestion has dropped dramatically, and commuters are getting to work faster than ever. Broadway shows are selling out and foot traffic to local businesses is spiking. School buses are getting kids to class on time, and yellow cab trips increased by 10%. Transit ridership is up, drivers are having a better experience, and support for this program is growing every day."
Newsmax reached out to the White House for comment.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.