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Donald Trump: 5 barbs he took at New York's top Democrats

President Donald Trump's visit to Utica on Monday was laced with barbs at his home state as he talked up his push to elect more Republicans in Washington.
Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI
President Donald Trump chairs a meeting with administration and state officials on prison reform at the Trump National Golf Club August 9, 2018 in Bedminster, New Jersey. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

ALBANY — President Donald Trump's visit to Utica on Monday was laced with barbs at his home state as he talked up his push to elect more Republicans in Washington.

Trump delivered remarks at a fundraiser for freshman Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Utica-area Republican facing a tough challenge from Democratic Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi in the sprawling congressional district that stretches all the way to Broome County.

The most frequent target of his attacks? Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, both Democrats.

Here's five shots Trump took at the Empire State's top Democrats and their policies:

Cuomo 2020

Trump practically dared Cuomo to run for president in 2020 — though Trump claimed Cuomo told him he wouldn't.

"Now, (Cuomo) called me and he said 'I’ll never run for president against you,'" Trump said.

"But maybe he wants to. Oh, please do it. He did say that. Maybe he means it."

The Republican president followed up with a threat: "One thing we know and they do say: Anybody who runs against Trump suffers."

Cuomo's campaign didn't respond to Trump's claim.

Guns

Trump was well aware of his surroundings, acknowledging a Remington Arms firearms plant in nearby Illion, Herkimer County.

He used the plant as an entry point to take another jab at Cuomo, who successfully pushed through a broader assault-weapon ban as part of a package of gun-control measures in 2013.

"You better be careful because they want to end your Second Amendment and they’re putting a big move on it," Trump said. "And Cuomo wants to end your Second Amendment more than anybody."

Cuomo responded with a tweet.

"Donald Trump & the NRA — bankrupt bedfellows: literally and morally," Cuomo tweeted. "Unlike Trump, I'm not afraid to take on the NRA."

Taxes

New York is a high-tax state. Trump used that to boost Tenney's candidacy.

"You vote for somebody other than our fantastic Claudia, you’re voting for higher taxes," Trump said.

"They want to raise your taxes."

Cuomo has fought against the Republican federal tax reform approved last year, particularly a provision that caps the amount of state and local taxes you can deduct from your federal taxes.

"They want to actually end these massive tax cuts that everybody in this room has gotten; that have been so popular — that have really made our economy the strongest it’s ever been in the history of our nation," Trump said of Democrats.

Kirsten Gillibrand

Trump also ripped Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who the Republican president has sparred with during his time in office.

Gillibrand called on Trump to resign last December amid harassment allegations against him.

And he fired back that she could to his office "begging" for campaign contributions not so long ago "and would do anything for them," claims Gillibrand and other Trump critics said were misogynist.

He continued the same criticism on Monday, praising Gillibrand's opponent this year, Republican Chele Farley.

"I’ve watched you, and I know you’re really working hard," Trump said to Farley, who was in attendance.

"Honestly, on the merits you should win. You know, I know your opponent very well. She’s been up to my office looking for campaign contributions. And she’s very aggressive on contributions, but she’s not very aggressive in getting things done."

He called Gillibrand a "puppet" of New York's senior Sen. Chuck Schumer.

"You know that. He put her there," Trump continued.

"I’ve never seen anybody like this. Your opponent was the most pro-gun person you’ve ever seen. The day she got that given position, she all of a sudden becomes ‘anti,’ like 100 percent. So people get it."

Gillibrand responded on Twitter: "The President refuses to acknowledge the work I’ve gotten done. Sound familiar, ladies?"

Fracking (or lack thereof)

The president knocked New York (and by extension, Cuomo) for prohibiting large-scale hydraulic fracturing in New York.

Cuomo's administration spent its first term considering whether or not to allow fracking, which would open up access to the gas-rich Marcellus Shale, whose sweet spot spans the Southern Tier.

But it wasn't to be: Cuomo's administration banned it in late 2014.

"I said with the use of brainpower and common sense, you people could have had a boomtown up here," Trump said.

"This could have been Boomtown USA."

He continued: "You have among the richest in the United States sitting under your land and you don’t take it, and other people are taking it. Meaning other states are taking it."

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