By Dave Van Zandt
President Trump criticized New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday after she endorsed progressive state assemblymember Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race. In a Truth Social post, Trump suggested the federal government could reconsider sending funds to New York, writing: “No reason to be sending good money after bad!”
The president’s remarks raised questions about the legality of withholding funds as punishment for political endorsements. Constitutional law makes clear that Congress, not the president, holds the power of the purse. The executive branch cannot unilaterally cut off funds appropriated by law to coerce political behavior. In NFIB v. Sebelius (567 U.S. 519, 2012), the Supreme Court ruled that threatening to withhold essential funding as leverage amounted to a “gun to the head,” violating limits under the Spending Clause and the Tenth Amendment. Unless tied directly to lawful conditions approved by Congress, threatening to withhold federal funds over an endorsement would likely be unconstitutional.
Hochul’s endorsement, published in a New York Times op-ed, praised Mamdani’s affordability platform while noting disagreements on other issues. Trump has signaled interest in former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as an alternative candidate, but polls show Mamdani leading.
Sources
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
