Trump Slammed Hochul Over This Railroad Strike Failure that She Can’t Bear to Call

Kathy Hochul stood at a podium Sunday and blamed Donald Trump for shutting down New York's railroad.

Trump fired back on Truth Social, called it her fault, and told her exactly what to do about it.

She has not called – and 300,000 commuters are waking up this morning to find out what that silence costs them.

Hochul Handed Trump the Perfect Weapon

The post was not subtle.

"Failed New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, a Dumacrat, just blamed ME for her Long Island Railroad Strike, when she knows, full well, that I have nothing to do with it," Trump wrote Saturday.

Then he offered to solve it himself.

"No, Kathy, it's your fault, and now looking over the facts, you should not have allowed this to happen. If you can't solve it, let me know, and I'll show you how to properly get things done."

He added: "Kathy, call me if you can't do it, I will get it done – I know all the players, great people!!!"

Hochul's position is that the Trump administration cut federal mediation short last fall, pushing negotiations toward a strike.

Her own statement called the walkout a "direct result of reckless actions by the Trump Administration."

What she did not mention: the unions themselves asked Trump to intervene last year, he ordered two emergency boards that extended the cooling-off period and bought her more time, and she still couldn't close a deal.

This is New York. This is her railroad.

She failed.

The Numbers That Make This Inexcusable

Here is what Hochul was protecting her union allies from accepting.

The MTA offered a 9.5% raise over three years – a deal already signed by every other transit union at the same agency.

They added a further 4.5% in year four, contingent on productivity improvements.

The unions said no.

Their demand: 14.5% over four years, no conditions attached.

This from workers who already earn an average of $121,646 in base salary plus another $25,957 in overtime annually, according to MTA payroll data.

Total average compensation: roughly $150,000 a year.

The median Long Island household – usually with two earners – brought home $131,000 in 2023.

The people on the picket line already out-earn the families waiting for the bus.

And 325 LIRR employees cleared $100,000 or more in overtime pay alone last year.

A union contract provision awards double pay when a worker operates electric and diesel vehicles on the same shift, or works a rail yard and an active train in the same day.

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber has said the LIRR's workers are the highest-paid railroad employees in the nation.

They walked out anyway.

What Hochul Built and Who Is Paying for It

This is the first LIRR strike in more than 30 years.

The last two – 11 days in 1987, two days in 1994 – both ended when the sitting governor stepped in and forced a settlement.

Mario Cuomo canceled public appearances and burned up phone lines until the 1994 strike was over in 48 hours.

Hochul issued a press release blaming Trump.

The New York State Comptroller estimates this strike costs the region $61 million per day.

One teacher told CBS News he set his alarm for 2 a.m. to catch a 4:30 shuttle bus.

A medical assistant told reporters she was up at 5 a.m. for a commute that normally takes 30 minutes.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has issued traffic warnings and has not taken a side.

Trump already told Hochul how this ends.

Cuomo ended a strike in two days by picking up the phone and doing the work.

Hochul has had four years, two emergency boards, and a direct offer from the President of the United States – and 300,000 people are still setting their alarms for 2 a.m.

The phone works, Governor.

Sources:

• Robert Schmad, "Payroll data exposes six-figure salaries behind transit strike grinding NYC travel to a halt," Fox News, May 18, 2026.
• "Trump rips Gov. Hochul over commuter rail strike: 'It's your fault,'" The Washington Times, May 16, 2026.
• "Trump and Hochul Trade Blame as LIRR Strike Takes Effect," Newsweek, May 16, 2026.
• "Long Island Rail Road operations halted by strike," LI Herald, May 18, 2026.
• "LIRR strike of 1987: Could a modern day strike mirror?" PIX11, September 2025.
• "Guide to the Long Island Railroad Strike Newspaper Clippings, 1994," Cornell Kheel Center.