Trump is scheduled to hold a rally at Madison Square Garden in late October, despite having no chance of winning in Manhattan. The former president’s campaign event is set for October 27, as reported by NBC News. This rally will mark Trump’s first time speaking to his supporters in his deep-blue hometown.
A campaign official shared with the outlet that Trump aims to host “major arena rallies” in battleground states leading up to the November 5 election. However, New York is not considered one of these battleground states. Trump received only 12.3% of the vote in Manhattan in 2020, compared to Joe Biden’s 86.8%. In the 2016 election, Trump garnered just 10% of Manhattan’s vote against Hillary Clinton’s 87.2%.
Despite focusing on swing states, Trump will also be visiting two consistently blue states later this week: California and Colorado. Earlier this year in Manhattan, Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Additionally, he was found liable for defamation and sexual abuse of writer E Jean Carroll for allegedly raping her in a New York store dressing room in 1996.
Earlier this year, Trump held rallies in the Bronx and on Long Island. The former president’s upcoming rally at Madison Square Garden is part of his effort to connect with his base and garner support ahead of the election.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.