Former President Donald Trump took the stage at Madison Square Garden for a barn-burning homestretch rally before a capacity crowd that erupted with an intensity typically reserved for pro athletes and rock stars.
On Sunday, he stood where Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali in “The Fight of the Century” before an adoring crowd of some 20,000 supporters — thousands of whom braved chilly NYC streets for up to two days to secure a spot in line.
Tens of thousands more watched from outside after they were turned away when the venue filled up, cops said.
Trump’s opening pitch to his supporters was simple: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”
The resounding answer, “no!”
Even as the marathon rally entered its fifth hour, the crowd was rapturous.
Trump leveraged the chance to speak at the Garden and sweep national headlines, and he was beaming as he addressed the crowd, urging voters to make the election “too big to rig” — and even win New York.
“It would be such an honor to win New York, hasn’t been done in decades,” the Queens native told the massive crowd, without mentioning House races in the state.
Trump, after arm wrestling Hulk Hogan backstage and watching the rally on a TV, entered the arena to a live rendition of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” pumping his fists as he walked, stopping occasionally to point or wave to a member of the crowd.
The former president and former first lady Melania Trump embraced when he approached the podium, exchanging a double cheek kiss. The couple exchanged an “I love you” before Trump took the microphone.
“I’m thrilled to be back in the city I love, with thousands of proud, hard-working American patriots, you’re with me and we’re together, we’ve always been together,” he said.
He also announced a new policy: a tax cut for caregivers who look after family members or loved ones.
Trump had already announced a slate of tax cut promises if he takes office: no tax on tips, overtime and social security.
The tax credit for caregivers, Trump said, was yet another vow to workers who deserve to be “recognized” as the economy takes a toll on working class Americans.
Trump, in one of his final messages to voters, broke out many of his usual policies — speaking about his plans for mass deportations of illegal migrants, lowering energy costs, reducing inflation, securing America’s influence abroad, and overall, “Making America Great Again.”
The crowd cheered and stood, laughed and reacted to Trump’s speech, as he boasted about the crowd size — which he said could have filled the arena “ten times” over — and danced to “New York, New York” at the conclusion of his rousing address.
Trump’s rally in the heart of the Big Apple was a homecoming to a city that has come to reject him and everything he stands for, tearing his names off buildings, putting him on trial and even barring him from doing business in the state.
The enthusiastic turnout of die-hard supporters in the deepest-blue city in one of the bluest states in the nation flew in the face of the constant drumbeat from the left that he was unfit for office or will bring about the end of democracy as we know it — which continue even after two attempts on his life.
Thousands of supporters stuffed into pens in Midtown Manhattan ahead of the rally, despite heavy security and a complete lack of toilet facilities — around 2,000 camping out overnight as long as 48 hours before the event.
By 10 a.m., there were more than 10,000 waiting for blocks and blocks around the Midtown venue. By 3 p.m., the Garden was at at least 85% capacity with only nosebleed seats still available, and by 4:30 p.m. the NYPD started turning people away.
The crescendo of energy in MSG was palpable as each Republican speaker – including several former bitter Trump rivals – took the stage one by one to a jubilant crowd to tout the former president as the obvious choice Nov. 5.
“Billy Joel never got this kind of love,” observed a Post reporter on the inside.
It remained high through Trump’s speech — even though some attendees had been inside MSG for more than seven hours by the time Trump came on.
They took turns jabbing the Harris-Walz ticket, or hitting key campaign talking points as a united front.
House Speaker Mike Johnson says people are “fed up” with the Biden-Harris administration — and “fired up” to vote for former President Donald Trump, while Trump primary rival Vivek Ramaswamy boasted “New York is a swing state” during his remarks, in which he said of the energy in the room to raucous applause, “this does not feel like second-place energy.”
Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard came out on stage and slammed former Vice President Dick Cheney, telling the crowd that “a vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney.”
Former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson got a true rockstar’s welcome as he walked to the stage with an enormous grin plastered on his face. His enthusiasm nearly brought the house down as he touted the ongoing “realignment” happening in American politics. “Donald Trump’s gonna win,” he said as the crowd erupted. “I know he is.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came out on stage to enthusiastic applause and railed about how the Democratic Party has changed during his lifetime, leading to him leaving the party last year. “This is not the party anymore of Martin Luther King, of Robert Kennedy or John Kennedy. That was the party of peace.”
Then Hulk Hogan, reprising his show-stopping appearance at the RNC in July, danced on stage to his theme song “Real American” while waving a huge American flag. The former WWE star slammed Kamala Harris, claiming she “acts like the victim.”
Hogan proclaimed “I don’t see any stinkin’ Nazis in here” in reference to claims by Democrats – including Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz – saying the rally was a repeat of Nazis gathering at MSG in the 1930s.
Republican vice presidential hopeful JD Vance hailed Trump as one of the great champions who visited Madison Square Garden.
“For more than a century, America’s most celebrated heroes and legends have made history inside this iconic arena. This, where we stand, is where the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali, faced Joe Frazier in the fight of the century,” Vance said, rattling off a list of other examples of performers in The Garden such as Elvis Presley.
“Now, on the eve of the most important election in our history, the greatest champion of them all, Donald J. Trump, has come to Madison Square Garden.”
