No, Hochul didn't warn truckers that NYC boycott is a hate crime against migrants | Fact check

Andre Byik, USA TODAY
·3 min read
10
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The claim: New York governor said trucker boycott is hate crime against migrants, threatened to seize trucker homes

A Feb. 26 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a photo of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaking from a lectern.

"NY Gov. Hochul warns truckers," reads text included in the post. "Not delivering to NY is a hate crime against Illegals, and because Wall Street and the Fed. Reserve are in NY, the Ruling on Trump set precedent, hence giving her authority to empty their bank accounts and seize their homes."

The post was liked more than 150 times in two days. A similar version of the claim was also shared widely on X, formerly Twitter.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

Hochul has not issued any such statement, a spokesperson said. There is likewise no record of her threatening to seize the homes of truckers who participate in the boycott, or claiming to have the power to do so.

Hochul didn't warn pro-Trump truckers that she could seize their money

After a New York judge found former President Donald Trump and his Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust liable for nearly $355 million in penalties in his civil fraud case on Feb. 16, Fox 5 New York reported a pro-Trump trucker posted a video on X that called on drivers to refuse loads going to New York City. The trucker took the video down after less than a day, and it wasn't clear how many drivers heeded the call to action.

There are no credible reports that Hochul warned truckers that refusing deliveries to New York amounts to a hate crime against people living in the country illegally. There are also no credible reports that the governor asserted the ruling against Trump gives her the authority to seize money and property from truckers who participate in the boycott.

Fact check: Video shows 2022 US trucker caravan, not 'Take Our Border Back' convoy

"I can confirm that Governor Hochul has not made any such statement," Anthony Hogrebe, a spokesperson for Hochul, said in an email.

Following the judgment against Trump, Hochul addressed business owners concerned that similar cases could be brought against them, The Guardian reported in a Feb. 18 article.

"Law-abiding and rule-following New Yorkers who are businesspeople have nothing to worry about because they’re very different than Donald Trump and his behavior," Hochul said, according to the article and other news reports.

The Instagram user who shared the post did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hochul didn't warn truckers that NY boycott is hate crime | Fact check