Former governor believes Trump has 'real opportunity' to win NY with Biden, Dems 'screwing up royally'

Former New York Gov. George Pataki argued the Empire State is up for grabs this November, warning Democratic voters are coming to terms with the fact that Biden is "screwing up royally" as he flounders in the polls. 

Pataki joined "Fox & Friends" to explain why he believes New York could be considered a swing state this election cycle, as Democrats are reportedly concerned behind the scenes that Biden doesn't have what it takes to win, or serve, a second term. 

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"It's [been] a long time since anybody asked me if New York is a battleground state, but this year I'm getting asked that a lot, and I think it's because it is," Pataki said. "And for that to happen, you need a number of different things. First is you need Democratic voters, a million Democratic voters, to look at their party, look at their candidates, and say, 'We're screwing up royally,' and you have that. You have the chaos at the top of the Democratic ticket."

"You have inflation, you have the migrant crisis in New York City and now in the suburbs, and it's leading a lot of Democrats to say, ‘Hey, wait a second, maybe my party has let me down, and I… should try something different,’" he continued. 

According to Siena College Research Institute, Biden is polling only eight points ahead of Trump in the Empire State. Biden defeated Trump in 2020 in New York by 23 points. 

Trump supporters raise their phones as the former president takes the stage at Crotona Park in the Bronx borough of New York on May 23. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

From February to June of this year alone, Trump has surged 3% in the polls and Biden has lost 1% in popularity. 

Pataki, who was New York's last Republican governor from 1995 to 2006, said Trump's unconventional campaigning is helping him break through traditional political barriers. 

"You need a candidate who's going to campaign differently, and you saw that with President Trump," Pataki said. "He held his rally in New York, not on Long Island, not in some suburb, but in the South Bronx, and that's exactly what you have to do. You have to reach out to minority voters, African-American voters, Latino voters, and, of course, Jewish voters are very upset with Biden, so there's a real opportunity in New York."

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Trump held a massive rally in the South Bronx back in May, gathering thousands of supporters in Crotona Park as he vowed to "save" the Big Apple from Democratic policies. He called it a "city in decline," but vowed to turn the trajectory "around."

Former President Trump appears during a campaign event at Crotona Park in the Bronx borough of New York on May 23. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Biden has faced mounting criticism in recent weeks and even bipartisan calls to drop out of the presidential race as critics worry about his fitness for office. 

The concern was initially expedited by a faulty debate performance against Trump in June where he appeared to lose his train of thought and freeze at times. 

Despite ongoing calls to step down from his candidacy, the president made it clear in a gaffe-ridden NATO press conference, and prior interactions with the media, that he would not end his campaign. 

During the course of the high-stakes news conference on Thursday, Biden referred to Vice President Harris as "Vice President Trump" and said "anyway" at least nine times while appearing to lose his train of thought. 

Prior to the briefing, Biden also introduced Ukraine President Zelenskyy as President "Putin." 

"This is just an ongoing disaster," Pataki said.

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