But what about the war?: NYC’s subway funding is on the chopping block thanks to Donald Trump’s pick

This administration has been on an all-hands-on-deck mission to rid America of crime. The next stop appears to be the ever-reliable target of conservative alarmists: the New York City subway system. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has sent a strongly worded letter to New York City officials warning that if they fail to take immediate action to address safety concerns, Donald Trump could cut federal funding for mass transit in the largest city in America.

In light of recent foreign policy developments, the last thing the Trump administration needs is another national story about insecurity that the president must address at a press conference. And, to be fair, New York has had its share of high-profile crimes in the subway system. There have been several incidents where people were pushed onto train tracks, a homeless man was killed in the subway, and one woman was tragically set on fire.

However, multiple reports suggest the issue may be more about perception than reality — and there is data to support that argument. According to the New York Police Department, crime has fallen by 5.4& annually. Overall crime is also down roughly 40% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Out of the 1.2 billion rides taken on the city’s subway system in 2024, a total of 2,111 crimes were reported.

Those numbers are not perfect, but they are far from scandalous. They certainly do not suggest a crisis severe enough to justify cutting funding over a crime rate that remains well below 1% of total ridership.

Secretary Duffy’s two-page letter to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority stated that the Department of Transportation is focused primarily on “oversight.” If the MTA wants to avoid funding disruptions, it must provide a list of actions it plans to take to address what the White House has deemed a dangerous situation.

Exactly what actions should appear on that list was largely left to the MTA’s imagination.

Beyond this latest dispute, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has often managed to strike surprisingly workable arrangements with the president — even earning the nickname “the Trump whisperer.” On paper, Mamdani and Trump could hardly have more opposing political views. Yet in office, they have occasionally found common ground, recognizing that mutual success can benefit the country regardless of how polarizing their public personas may be.

Mamdani may soon have to make another trip to the White House to extinguish this latest fire.

Cutting subway funding would not make the system safer — that should go without saying. In fact, the MTA is seeking more funding, not less. The agency has earmarked roughly $14 billion over the next five years, much of which will go toward modernizing subway infrastructure and bringing systems up to contemporary standards.

Trump’s clashes with New York City have actually been less severe than many expected. Aside from this dispute — and the president’s suggestion that Penn Station should be named after him, which by Trump standards is relatively mild — the administration has been comparatively accommodating toward New York, especially when contrasted with its approach to cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has deployed an additional 1,000 law enforcement officers to the subway system, hoping to prevent another high-profile crime from dominating headlines.