Politics

Trump Announces First Rally In Dem Stronghold Since 2016

Trump announced his first rally in new York since 2016. [Screenshot/YouTube/RPI TV Alum Archive]

[Screenshot/YouTube/RPI TV Alum Archive]

Julianna Frieman Contributor
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Presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced Friday that he will host his first campaign rally in New York since the 2016 election.

As President Joe Biden hemorrhages support across swing states and Democratic strongholds, Trump plans to whip up enthusiasm at Crotona Park in the South Bronx during a 6 p.m. campaign rally on May 23, according to a press release. This comes one week after the former president garnered a massive crowd of an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey — another historically blue state.

“President Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America, will visit the Bronx, New York on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 6:00PM EDT to highlight the horrendous effects Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous presidency has had on our economy,” the press release states.

“New Yorkers have suffered greatly thanks to Biden’s failed policies. With prices in the Empire State up by 17.5 percent since Biden took office, New York families continue to suffer from high inflation on everyday goods. In fact, New Yorkers have spent $7,747 more on transportation, $3,542 more on energy, $3,637 more on food, and $3,921 more on shelter on average since January 2021 due to Bidenflation,” the announcement continued.

Trump’s announcement blamed “Biden’s and Democrats’ pro-criminal policies” for the “incomprehensible and devastating” surge in violent crime in New York City since 2019. He promised to “ease” economic hardship and “re-establish law and order” while “reversing” inflation and “ceasing” the influx of illegal migrants entering the U.S. if re-elected as president, according to the announcement. (RELATED: ‘She Is Never Here’: Residents Of AOC’s District Blast NYC’s Crime Wave, Migrant Crisis)

Dozens of South Bronx residents marched in support of Trump on Saturday, video posted on social media shows. They held a banner that read “The South Bronx For Donald Trump” in uppercase letters as one supporter was seen waving an American flag. Signs reading “Black Lives MAGA” and “Black Patriots For Trump Rally” were also spotted at the event, video shows.

Trump held a campaign rally in Albany, New York on April 11, 2016 at the Times Union Center.

Support for Trump has been picking up steam across key battleground states as voters who backed Biden in 2020 appear to have had a change of heart, according to the New York Times/Sienna survey released Monday. The outlet touched base with Biden defectors in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania who named inflation, foreign policy and illegal immigration as the reasons why they are considering voting for Trump instead this November.

Inflation sat at 1.4% when Biden was inaugurated in January 2021, peaking at 9.1% in June 2022. Additionally, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia unfurled on Biden’s watch in February 2022, followed by the Islamic terror attack against Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. All of this transpired as illegal migrant crossings reach record highs under Biden, with more than 302,000 entering the U.S. in December 2023 alone — the most recorded in a single month, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data.