Gov. Kathy Hochul talks Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump over congestion pricing

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday assailed President Donald Trump's efforts to shut down congestion pricing in Manhattan and his likening of himself to a king in the process, saying that New York will win a court fight with the federal government over the traffic plan.

Hochul told host Margaret Brennan on CBS' "Face the Nation" that she met with the president Friday to let him know face to face about congestion pricing and "the benefits of this program, because our city is paralyzed with gridlock, and we had a path forward to be able to make the city move again, and it's working."

The governor said she had "a problem" with Trump’s boast on his social media platform that congestion pricing was "dead" and his statement "LONG LIVE THE KING!"

"We labored under a king 250 years ago, and I said, ‘We're not going back there.’ ” Hochul told Brennan.

Hochul said the toll plan had been approved by "the duly elected members of our legislature representing the voice of the people" and that she believed Trump did not have the power to unilaterally end it.

"I believe we will be victorious in the courts," she said, "and this program will continue."

Brennan reminded Hochul that New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a fellow Democrat, is opposed to congestion pricing and has appealed to Trump to end it.

"They [New Jersey] do not tell us in New York what to do — nor does Washington — when it comes to policies that we believe are going to reduce congestion," Hochul said. "Move along vehicles, emergency vehicles are moving faster. Air quality is improving. So I have arguments that are important, but no one else should be able to second-guess us, because that's not how our system of laws and states was set up. I'm the governor of New York. I will deal with the internal issues before me without interference from New Jersey or indeed, the federal government."

Trump told New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin the meeting was "cordial," but he hadn’t been persuaded by Hochul’s arguments.

"This is something she thinks is good," Trump told Goodwin. "This is so bad for New York. It’s so bad what they’re doing."

The White House press office was not immediately available for comment Sunday.

Hochul also criticized Trump's threats to withhold federal funding from states that don't comply with his demands. That came after a meeting on Friday between Trump and a bipartisan group of governors at the White House. At the meeting, Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills told Trump, "we'll see you in court," over his push to deny federal funding to that state over transgender athletes.

"Good," the president responded. "I'll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one."

Hochul said she and other Democratic governors would "stand their ground" and not allow Trump to "bully us."

At her meeting with Trump, Hochul did not discuss the Department of Justice's dismissal of federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, she said in the interview Sunday.

With AP