President Donald Trump’s decision to hold a rally in downtown Manhattan on Oct. 27, nine days before Election Day, has been condemned by New York Democrats, with some calling the reservation to be held at the same venue before then. Comparisons have been made to the infamous Nazi rally held in . To World War II.
But the sentiment has also sparked a backlash, with Republicans saying such rhetoric would further escalate tensions in a presidential campaign that has already seen two attempts on Trump’s life. .
Democratic state Sen. Brad Hoylman Segal, whose district includes much of the West Side of Manhattan where President Trump’s “Arena Tour” rally dates have been booked at Madison Square Garden, is the venue’s owner. He called on the public to cancel the event.
“Let me be clear,” Hoylman-Segal wrote to X. “Allowing President Trump to hold an event at MSG would be tantamount to the infamous Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden on February 20, 1939.”
Hoylman-Segal was referring to a pro-Hitler rally organized by a German-American band that drew more than 20,000 people and featured a portrait of George Washington with a swastika. Many of the participants had come from Yaphank, Long Island, where the Bund headquarters was located and a summer camp teaching Nazi ideology.
In 2019, Hillary Clinton, in a speech at the same venue, referred to the infamous Bund rally and denounced the “attack on the rule of law and the foundations of democracy.”
But New York state Republicans denounced the comparison.
“Calling a peaceful rally for a leading candidate for president of the United States a ‘Nazi rally’ is not only an offensive comparison, but also an offensive one in the wake of two direct attempts on President Donald Trump’s life.” “This is a significant escalation of dangerous rhetoric,” state Sen. Rob Ortto said in a statement.
In her post, Hoylman-Sigal sought to downplay the comparisons she made. “I don’t call anyone a Nazi,” he said. “I’m pointing out historical parallels.”
The state senator continued, “I am deeply grateful to the venue and its many supporters who are white supremacists and who have shown hatred and vitriol against minority groups, including Jews, people of color, and the LGBTQ community.” “I was talking about it,” he added.
Haley Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, told Politico that Trump refuses to condemn white supremacy, incites right-wing extremists to riot, and collaborates with Holocaust deniers and neo-Nazis. He said they had dinner together.
“If ever there was a time to make that comparison, it’s now. That’s why the vast majority of American voters are against Donald Trump in this election,” Soifer said.
The dispute comes as the major political parties are embroiled in an expensive battle for control of New York’s suburban districts that flipped from Republicans and gave Democrats control of Congress in 2022. .
But it also comes as New York City’s Jewish voters consider aligning with traditional Democrats over the growing Middle East conflict. President Trump said Jews who vote for Vice President Kamala Harris “need to undergo a head search.”
Members of the Democratic Party’s Progressive Wing have been accused of anti-Semitism over comments criticizing Israeli actions and supporting pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses across the city.
President Trump held a memorial service earlier this week to mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israelis on October 7, 2023. Trump called the attacks on Israel a “nightmare” and continued that anti-Semitism continues to rise in the country. America was the result of Democratic leadership.
President Trump has previously said he would like to hold the rally at Madison Square Garden, the country’s most prestigious rock venue and home to sports teams such as the New York Knicks and Rangers.
“I believe we will have a rally at Madison Square Garden,” President Trump said in April. “We think we have a deal with Madison Square Garden for that. We’re going to have a big rally to honor the police, the firefighters, and everyone, including teachers by the way. I would like to express my respect to many people.”
The controversy surrounding Trump’s rally at the venue comes as Democrats have largely toned down comparisons between Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement and Nazi ideology.
In May, Joe Biden accused President Trump of using “Hitler language” after the former president briefly shared a video on Truth Social that referred to a “united empire.”
Trump campaign spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said Hoylman-Segal’s comments were “the same kind of dangerous rhetoric that led to two assassination attempts on President Trump’s life and divided our country.” , called for the senator’s resignation.
Republican state Senate candidate Vito Labella told X that Hoylman-Segal’s comments would turn off voters. “According to every poll, about half of this country supports this man. It’s okay to hate Trump. You called 150 million voters Nazis (sic). Shame on you. Know.
