Former President Trump is making a bold move by hosting a campaign rally in the Bronx, aiming to turn New York State red in the upcoming November elections.
This unexpected development contrasts sharply with the situation in 2021 when he left the White House.
The rally is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. in Crotona Park, near Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district, with a permit for 3,500 attendees.
Following a massive rally in New Jersey, where up to 100,000 supporters gathered, this event marks Trump’s return to New York for the first time since 2016.
The campaign rally also criticized President Biden’s record on crime and inflation over the past three and a half years.
“Both New York City and the state at large have been ravaged by monumental surges in violent crime as a direct result of Biden’s and Democrats’ pro-criminal policies,” as stated by the campaign in the declaration.
It continued, “Murders in New York City are up 23.1 percent from 2019 levels, while felony assault is up 35.4 percent. These upticks are incomprehensible and devastating.”
The campaign emphasized Trump’s affection for the state where he previously resided before changing his permanent address to Mar-a-Lago in Florida in 2019. Despite this move, he has been compelled to return to face trial in cases related to “hush money” and defamation allegations by E Jean Carroll.
“The Empire State, a place near to President Trump’s heart, has been decimated by Biden,” the statement continues. “President Trump will ease the financial pressures placed on households and re-establish law and order in New York! We can Make America Great Again by tackling lawlessness head-on, ceasing the endless flow of illegal immigrants across our southern border, and reversing the detrimental effects of inflation by restoring people’s wealth.”
When contacted by Fox News Digital this morning, many business owners in the borough were unaware of the upcoming rally.
Reggie O also highlighted the possibility of the state being flipped in the future and noted that his eatery has not experienced any crime issues since its recent opening.
The statement reads, “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.”
The rally announcement has sparked diverse reactions. Representative Ritchie John Torres, a Democrat representing New York’s 15th congressional district where the rally will take place, criticized the former president in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“The South Bronx has no greater enemy than Donald Trump, who is on a mission to dismantle the social safety net on which Bronx families depend for their survival,” Torres said. “Trump is and has always been a fraud. The South Bronx – the most Democratic area in the nation – will not buy the snake oil that he is selling.
Liz Adreu, a manager at Chocobar Cortes in the Bronx, expressed her potential support for Trump, while Reggie O, the owner of Aduanipa African & Caribbean Grill, mentioned his past support for Trump’s policies without revealing his current voting preference.
The Trump campaign pointed out the financial strain faced by businesses and families due to inflation, particularly after enduring the challenges of pandemic-related lockdowns.
Trump hinted last month that he would be campaigning in New York City during his visit to Sanaa Convenience Store in Upper Manhattan. The visit was significant as it was where a former clerk, Jose Alba, defended himself in a self-defense incident by fatally stabbing an ex-convict who had attacked him in July 2022.
“We’re going to come into New York, we’re making a big play for New York,” Trump told reporters. “I love this city, and it’s gone so bad in the last three years, four years, and we’re going to straighten New York out.”
