What Trump has said about NYC ahead of MSG rally
NEW YORK - Former President Donald Trump has long said he believes he can win New York in the 2024 race for president.
JUMP TO: CHANCES OF WINNING NY l TRUMP RALLY AT MSG
"We are going to win New York!" – Trump told a packed Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum last month at a rally on Long Island.
Trump promised to become the first Republican presidential candidate to win New York state since Ronald Reagan back in 1984. At the rally, he painted a bleak picture of a state and city, ruined by Democratic leadership and in dire need of him.
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'We’re not going to take it any longer'
"We’re just destroying the fabric of life in our country. And we’re not going to take it any longer. And you got to get rid of these people. Give me a shot," he said.
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The former president blamed New York's Democratic leadership for homeless people living in what he called "horrible, disgusting, dangerous, filthy encampments," and even the conditions on the subway, which he called "squalid and unsafe" and promised to renovate.
"Look at what's happening," Trump said. "Businesses that are fleeing, money draining out of your state and hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants sucking your public resources dry."
‘A city in decline’
"If a New Yorker can’t save this country," he went on to say, "no one can."
At a rally in the South Bronx back in May, the former president reminisced about his efforts to revitalize Central Park's Wollman Rink and people he knew in the real estate business.
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Trump rallies thousands in the South Bronx as he tries to woo his hometown
Former President Donald Trump held a campaign rally on Thursday in the Bronx, as he hopes to woo minority voters by appearing in one of New York City's most diverse and impoverished neighborhoods.
Trump tried to pay homage to his hometown, recalling its "humble beginnings" as a small Dutch trading post before it grew into a glamorous cultural capital that "inspired the entire world."
"Everyone wanted to be here," he said. "But sadly this is now a city in decline."
Can Trump really win New York?
Trump has promised to become the first Republican presidential candidate to win New York state since Ronald Reagan back in 1984. Trump also claimed he had a "real chance" to turn the Empire State red in a post last month on Truth Social.
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Can Donald Trump really turn New York red?
On Long Island Wednesday, Donald Trump promised to become the first Republican presidential candidate to win New York state since Ronald Reagan in 1984. But is it really possible?
President Joe Biden carried 60.9% of the New York state vote in 2020, according to 270towin.com.
A Republican hasn't carried New York in a presidential election since 1984, when incumbent President Ronald Reagan defeated former Vice President Walter Mondale by a margin of 53.8% to 45.8%, according to 270towin.com.
According to FiveThirtyEight, polls show Harris has a nearly 15 percentage point over Trump in this election.
Trump rally at Madison Square Garden
Meanwhile, the former president's expected rally this weekend at Madison Square Garden is expected to draw thousands.
Doors for the Sunday, Oct. 27 event open at 12 p.m. The rally will begin at 5 p.m.
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Trump rally at MSG: What to know about the weekend event in NYC
Former President Donald Trump is expected to return to New York City this weekend for a rally at Madison Square Garden. Here's what to know about the event.
The city has not announced specific road closures, but New Yorkers should expect tight security and tons of buzz in the area.
"We have some very big ones coming. We just rented Madison Square Garden. We’re going to make a play for New York," Trump said earlier this month.
Trump Madison Square Garden tickets
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The Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report.