NEW YORK — Former New York Lieutenant Governor Betsy McCaughey, a Republican considering a run for governor, has pledged to combat the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in New York State if elected. Speaking at a rally in Flushing on August 10, hosted by the Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party, McCaughey decried the CCP’s “illegal, secret, and violent” activities in the United States, emphasizing the need to protect Chinese immigrants who have distanced themselves from the Party.
The event celebrated a milestone of over 450 million Chinese individuals worldwide renouncing ties with the CCP and its affiliated organizations, part of the global “Tuidang” or “Quit the CCP” movement. Inspired by The Epoch Times’ 2004 editorial series “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party,” the movement seeks to expose the CCP’s history and alleged human rights abuses, topics considered taboo in China. The New York-based nonprofit operates booths in the city, staffed by Falun Gong practitioners, to assist Chinese individuals in formally withdrawing from the CCP.
McCaughey, founder of Reduce Infection Deaths and co-founder of SaveNYC, described the Tuidang movement as “inspiring” during her speech. “It shows that the human spirit can never be conquered. It proves that truth, once spoken, lives on forever,” she said. “This is not about politics. It is about humanity. It is deep within our core as humans to want freedom.” She condemned the CCP’s intimidation of Chinese immigrants in the U.S., stating, “The penetration of the CCP—its illegal, secret, and violent ways inside the United States—must be stopped. They intimidate, they injure, they threaten Chinese people here who have left the Party; that must stop,” in an interview.
The rally highlighted the persecution faced by Falun Gong practitioners, a spiritual group based on principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, who have been targeted by the CCP since 1999. According to the Falun Dafa Information Center, millions of practitioners have faced detention, torture, and death in Chinese prisons and labor camps. In New York, the Global Service Center’s efforts have met with hostility, including an attack on a booth near Flushing’s Main Street subway station in April, following threats such as bomb attacks and shootings aimed at Falun Gong supporters.
Another speaker, Michael Pastine, assistant vice president and chief information officer at the State University of New York at Old Westbury, criticized the CCP’s censorship and control over information. “Each one of them has broken through the wall of lies. Each one is a digital and spiritual defector—walking away from a system that values power over people, and control over conscience,” Pastine said of those renouncing the CCP. He also praised the millions worldwide who have signed the center’s “End CCP” petition, calling the signatures “data points in a moral movement that technology cannot suppress.”
McCaughey emphasized solidarity with those rejecting the CCP, stating, “Together, we can build a future where the truth is not censored, where faith is not punished, and where the horrors of communism are never repeated.” Her remarks align with her broader campaign platform, which includes addressing local issues like public safety and economic recovery while taking a firm stance against foreign influence.
As New York’s gubernatorial race approaches, McCaughey’s focus on CCP influence underscores growing concerns about foreign interference in local communities. Her pledge to protect Chinese immigrants and curb alleged CCP activities could resonate with voters wary of global political dynamics affecting the state.
