Last night, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on CNN with Laura Coates.

AUDIO of the Governor's remarks is available here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Laura Coates, CNN: Joining me now is New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Governor Hochul, I want to talk about these threats in just a moment, but I do want to first get to this extremely breaking story tonight that the NYPD, Governor, is investigating whether a man was planning some kind of attack in the New York City area. I guess he was pulled over and arrested with a loaded gun, more than a hundred rounds of ammunition and other weapons. And he also, alarmingly, seemed to have NYPD uniform gear. Governor, what can you tell us about this?

Governor Hochul: Right. We’re working closely with the NYPD and, of course, the Joint Terrorism Task Force to investigate this further. But there is no tolerance for this behavior. This is criminal. And I have confidence in our system that this individual will be prosecuted and handled to the full extent of the law.

This is unacceptable in the State of New York. It’s frightening, but it’s important to note that the police are on top of this and more will be reported as we’re able to disclose this to the public.

Laura Coates, CNN: Governor, do we know, sitting here today, whether he was in fact plotting an attack?

Governor Hochul: I cannot speak to that at this time.

Laura Coates, CNN: I certainly hope that all the safety measures are in place to deter anything like this from happening, and we’ll hopefully have more information from you and your office at the appropriate time.

Governor Hochul: Absolutely.

Laura Coates, CNN: You’ve also commented on the different events that I had just described right before we started talking about this new reporting tonight about antisemitism, about vandalism. You called it abhorrent and other things as well. And just the tone, the aggressiveness of the incidents that we are seeing – Governor, they seem to have truly escalated and they are where commuters are and beyond. What is the State doing to ensure the safety of all New Yorkers?

Governor Hochul: This is textbook antisemitism. These constitute hate crimes, and I’m proud that our administration has taken this on. Before I became Governor, hate crimes were not even bail eligible. You couldn’t hold someone for committing one of these horrific crimes. I changed the bail laws so that hate crimes are now eligible. So, judges and prosecutors know this.

Secondly, in the legislative session that just ended a few weeks ago, we had added 28 more offenses to our hate crime list. I’ve also beefed-up security at vulnerable places, particularly places of worship: $35 million of support there. Our Joint Terrorism Task Force has strong representation from our State Police.

We also had to do a lot on college campuses to make sure that our commencement events and graduations went off as best they could under the circumstances. So, it’s an unsettling time. These are despicable acts. And particularly, what happened at that memorial to young lives – people who were slaughtered and raped and brutalized – this is so inhumane. And this is not who New Yorkers are. And we should not descend to this chaos and allow any tolerance for this disgusting, abhorrent behavior.

Laura Coates, CNN: Governor, there is a tension that many leaders are facing in their own local jurisdictions – New York, not an exception – between those who would say, “Well, hold on. As abhorrent and vile as this speech may be, you have the right to say it,” and trying to balance that against people’s right to feel safe, not threatened, not victimized or villainized in the way the speech indicates. How do you reconcile those tense moments?

Governor Hochul: It is not difficult for me because if someone wants to stand on a street, protest — they can do whatever they want. You go onto a subway train and threaten people and frighten them? You vandalize a home? Those are illegal acts. That is not even close to being speech. So, it’s clear to us that these were crimes that must be prosecuted.

Laura Coates, CNN: There is also a call some have talked about, some Jewish leaders actually in New York are calling tonight for a mask ban. Saying that covering faces allows protesters to have some level of anonymity to be more aggressive, to me more entitled to say what they want because they don’t fear repercussion in the same way. Would you support that endeavor?

Governor Hochul: There was a ban on masks before the pandemic that you couldn't have face coverings that didn't serve a purpose. For example, a surgical mask for someone who is elderly or ill — the pandemic removed that from our State Law. It was repealed at the time, but I absolutely will go back and take a look at this and see whether it can be restored because it is frightening to people.

You're sitting on a subway train and someone puts on a mask like this and comes in — you don't know if they're going to be committing a crime, they're going to have a gun, or whether they're just going to be threatening or intimidating you because you are Jewish, which is exactly what happened the other day. Absolutely unacceptable in the State of New York.

Laura Coates, CNN: Finally, Governor, I do want to ask you because you stopped New York City's planned congestion charge — a charge for cars that were traveling into central Manhattan. This was just weeks before it really was set to start. And you cited potential unintended economic consequences, but there are reports that say it's because this really got a lot of backlash.

It was disliked in some of the key districts that Democrats may need to take control of the House. Is that the motivation behind why you have caused this, or was there in fact, a political reason?

Governor Hochul: The only motivation I need is to spend time listening to real New Yorkers — the working men and women, our teachers, our firefighters, our police officers, health care workers; hospital workers.

I have heard from thousands of New Yorkers through countless means that they just can't take any more economic pressures. Life is hard enough. And so, at this time, at this very moment, when their bills are going up, everything is escalating — that we now say it's $15 more to drive in the City. I will always be the MTA's, the transit system's strongest supporter, which is why I engineered a bailout of it last year to keep it strong and viable.

I will have the resources — the Legislature and I are working out having the resources to do those improvements. We're also going to continue fighting to protect our environment, reducing emissions, dealing with congestion as it's existing today, but we can't do it at this time on the backs of New Yorkers who are just crying for some relief.

We cannot be tone deaf to these individuals because I have heard from them and they need our help at this time.

Laura Coates, CNN: Governor Kathy Hochul, thank you so much for joining me.

Governor Hochul: Thank you.