Former President Donald Trump took to the stage for a barn-burning homestretch rally at Madison Square Garden, and the sold-out crowd erupted with a frenzy usually reserved for professional athletes and rock stars.
On Sunday, he stood in the spot where Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali in the “Fight of the Century” in front of an enthusiastic crowd of about 20,000 supporters. Thousands of them braved the cold streets of New York City for up to two days to secure a place in line.
Police said tens of thousands more people watched from outside after being refused entry when the venue was full.
President Trump’s opening pitch to his supporters was simple: “Are you better now than you were four years ago?”
The resounding answer is “No!”
Even as the marathon rally entered its fifth hour, the crowd remained enthusiastic.
President Trump used the opportunity to make national headlines with his Garden speech, smiling broadly as he addressed the crowd, calling the election “too big to cheat” and even urging voters to win in New York. appealed to.
“It would be a great honor to win in New York,” the Queens native told the crowd, without mentioning the state’s House race. “We haven’t seen that in decades.”
Trump arm-wrestled with Hulk Hogan backstage and watched the rally on television before entering the arena to live music of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” pumping his fist as he walked and occasionally making noises. They stopped to point and wave at party members. crowd.
Former President Melania Trump and the former first lady hugged each other as they approached the podium and exchanged a double kiss on the cheek. The couple exchanged “I love you” before Trump took the microphone.
“I’m excited to be back in the city I love, home to thousands of proud, hard-working American Patriots. You’re with me, we’re together, and we’ll always be together.” he said.
He also announced new tax relief for caregivers who look after family members and loved ones.
Mr. Trump had already announced a series of tax-cut promises if he takes office, including exempting tips, overtime pay and Social Security from taxes.
President Trump said the tax credit for care workers is a renewed commitment to workers who should be “recognized” at a time when the economy is hitting working-class Americans hard.
In one of his final messages to voters, President Trump laid out many of his usual policies, including mass deportations of illegal immigrants, lowering energy costs, curbing inflation, securing America’s influence abroad, and overall He spoke of his plan to “Make America Great Again.” ”
The audience cheered, stood, laughed, and reacted to President Trump’s speech, and at the end of his speech, President Trump boasted about the size of his audience, saying he may have filled the arena “more than 10 times.” They danced to “New York, New York.” An enthusiastic speech.
Trump’s rally in the heart of the Big Apple rejects him and everything he stands for, calling for his name to be ripped off buildings, taken to court, and even banned from doing business in the state. It was a return home to the city that had become.
A rapt audience of fervent supporters gathered in the bluest city in one of the bluest states in the nation heard voices from the left saying he was unfit to be president or it would spell the end of democracy. They flew away, ignoring the constant sound of drums. We know that — it continues even after two attempts on his life.
Opinion polls say the election is close, but with voting day just around the corner, it feels like the wind is in Trump’s favor.
He’s fresh off a string of campaign successes, including a wildly popular stint as a Pennsylvania McDonald’s fry cook and an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which received more than 30 million views in 24 hours. is.
Despite tight security and a complete lack of toilet facilities, thousands of supporters packed into a corral in midtown Manhattan ahead of the rally, and about 2,000 camped out overnight until 48 hours before the rally.
By 10 a.m., more than 10,000 people were waiting for blocks around the Midtown venue. By 3 p.m., the garden was at least 85% capacity, with only nosebleed seats still available, but by 4:30 p.m., the NYPD began evicting people.
The energy at MSG was high on November 5th, as each Republican speaker, including several of President Trump’s former rivals, took to the stage one by one and touted the former president as the obvious choice in front of a jubilant crowd. The climax was clear.
“Billy Joel has never had so much love,” a Post reporter observed internally.
This number remained high throughout President Trump’s speech, even though some attendees had been inside MSG for more than seven hours by the time Trump appeared.
They took turns attacking the Harris Waltz ticket and attacking important campaign issues as a united front.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said people are “fed up” with the Biden-Harris administration and “enthusiastic” to vote for former President Donald Trump, while Trump’s rival Vivek Johnson In his remarks, Ramaswamy boasted that “New York is a battleground state.” During the speech, he said of the energy in the venue, “I can’t believe this energy is second nature,” and received a huge round of applause.
Former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard took to the stage to criticize former Vice President Dick Cheney, telling the audience, “A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney.”
Former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson took to the stage with a big smile on his face and received a true rock star welcome. His enthusiasm nearly brought the house down as he touted the “realignment” underway in American politics. “Donald Trump is going to win,” he said as the crowd roared. “I know he is.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took to the stage to rapturous applause and railed against how much the Democratic Party had changed during his lifetime, leading to his departure from the party last year. “This was no longer the party of Martin Luther King or Robert Kennedy or John Kennedy. It was the party of peace.”
Hulk Hogan, who made headlines at the RNC in July, made a return appearance, waving a giant American flag and dancing to the theme song “Real American.” The former WWE star slammed Kamala Harris, claiming she was “acting like a victim.”
“We don’t see any stinking Nazis here,” Hogan said, referring to claims by Democrats, including Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, that the rally was a reenactment of Nazis gathering at MSG in the 1930s. No,” he declared.
Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance praised Trump as one of the great champions who visited Madison Square Garden.
“For more than a century, America’s most famous heroes and legends have made history in this iconic arena. We stand here as the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali, stands in the fight of the century. “This is where we faced Frasier,” Vance said, listing other performers who have appeared at The Garden, including Elvis Presley.
“Now, on the eve of the most important election in our history, the greatest champion of them all, Donald J. Trump, has arrived at Madison Square Garden.”
