2 weeks Ago By Janice Hisle
NEW YORK—With just nine days to go before the Nov. 5 presidential election, former President Donald Trump is diverting from his swing state visits for a rally in the heart of Manhattan at Madison Square Garden where tens of thousands of supporters are expected to attend. For Bill Robinson, 65, of Asheville, North Carolina, who arrived two days beforehand to claim the first spot in line for the sold-out event that organizers say has been set up to accommodate 25,000 attendees, he expects it to be “the granddaddy of all Trump rallies,” “This is the last big push before the election.
This is the last time Trump will make his case with an absolute all-star group behind it,” he told The Epoch Times, while he and other supporters sat in folding chairs outside the venue Saturday evening. Seeing such an eclectic bunch standing with Trump is sparking interest among independents and Democrats; and people who didn’t like Trump are reevaluating him, Robinson and others said. On Sunday, Trump and more than two dozen other well-known public figures—including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.
), Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship Dana White—will take the stage at the iconic arena to present their case for why voters should elect him. Trump has long talked about wanting to hold a rally at the the venue dubbed “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” raising the idea in interviews and private conversations. “It’s the New York, but it’s also, you know, it’s MSG, it’s Madison Square Garden,” Trump recently told FOX News Radio’s “The Brian Kilmeade Show.
“Guys like you and I, that means a lot, those words. Madison Square Garden, right? Don’t you think so? ..
. It’s a very big stop.” Beyond the national spotlight and the appeal of appearing on one of the world’s most famous stages, Republicans in the state say the rally will also help down-ballot candidates.
“Madison Square Garden is the center of the universe,“ said Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller, noting the venue’s storied history hosting events including the 1971 “Fight of the Century.” The rally intends to showcase “the historic political movement that President Trump has built in the final days of the campaign,” the Trump campaign said. Along with trying to energize his base, Trump’s campaign has been trying to court the few remaining undecided voters, many of whom don’t get their news from traditional outlets.
To reach them, Trump has spent hours appearing on popular podcasts, most recently on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” And his campaign has worked to create viral moments such as his visit last weekend to a McDonald’s restaurant. Video of the stop posted by his campaign has been viewed more than 40 million times on TikTok alone.
“He’s not just going to be speaking to the attendees inside Madison Square Garden. There will be people tuning in from battleground states all across the country,” said former U.S.
Rep. Lee Zeldin, a New York Republican and ally of the former president, who said Trump has been talking about holding an event at the venue since the start of his campaign. Harris last week also traveled to a non-battleground state for a major event in Houston where she appeared with musician Beyoncé to speak about abortion.
A campaign official said that the crowd size at the Houston event reached 30,000, making it the campaign’s largest event to date. Harris will deliver her own closing argument Tuesday from the Ellipse in Washington. In a similar vein, as Robinson and other early-arriving Trump supporters sat outside Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, some passersby heckled them.
But others shouted encouragement, such as “Trump 2024!” Waiting in line alongside Robinson was Janet Bruno, 59, of Harrison, New York. Wearing a “New York for Trump” hat, Bruno said she sees Trump appealing to a more diverse group of people now. She sees people of different skin colors and ethnicities who are now being drawn to the Republicans under Trump’s leadership.
She said they see the GOP supports free speech, secure borders, a stronger economy, and peace through strength. New York has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate in 40 years, but that hasn’t stopped Trump from continuing to insist he believes he can win. “We think there’s a chance,” he said on “The Brian Kilmeade Show” earlier this week, pointing to frustrations over an influx of illegal immigrants to the city and concerns over crime.
The New York rally represents a continuation of Trump’s recent pushes into Democrat-held territories, including New Jersey and California, which could help boost not only his popular-vote totals but also shore up support for down ballot Republicans. However, Harris has attracted significant financial support in New York. She raised $27 million at a New York fundraiser in September—one of the largest single-day hauls of the 2024 campaign.
Jason Meister, a Trump advisory board member who works in New York, said the anticipated size of the rally and the broader spectrum of supporters that Trump is drawing are evidence that “we are currently witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime, generational political realignment.” Other scheduled speakers for the rally include current political officeholders, such as Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Rep.
Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani also are slated to appear. Trump’s politically active family members who will participate include sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, along with his wife, Lara Trump, who serves as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
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