Former President Donald Trump addresses a rally on Thursday, May 23, 2024, in the Bronx, New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura). Img source: www.newsnationnow.com
May 28, 2024 Story by: Editor
BRONX, NY (AP) — On Thursday, former President Donald Trump held a rally in the Bronx, one of the most Democratic counties in the country, aiming to attract minority voters just days before a Manhattan jury begins deliberating on felony charges in his hush money trial.
Speaking to supporters in Crotona Park, a diverse and economically challenged neighborhood, Trump attempted to connect with Black and Hispanic voters—a shift from his usual rallies in predominantly white areas. The audience, while not entirely reflective of the Bronx’s demographics, included significant numbers of Black and Hispanic attendees, with Spanish being spoken throughout the crowd.
In his first major rally in New York in eight years, Trump positioned himself as a more favorable president for Black and Hispanic voters than Biden, criticizing Biden’s immigration policies. He claimed, “the biggest negative impact” of the migrant influx in New York is “against our Black population and our Hispanic population who are losing their jobs, losing their housing, losing everything they can lose. They’re the ones that are affected most by what’s happening.”
The crowd responded with chants of “Build the wall,” referencing Trump’s push for a U.S.-Mexico border barrier during his presidency.
Confined to New York for his trial over the past six weeks, Trump’s campaign has organized various local appearances around his hometown. He has visited a Harlem bodega, a construction site, and a firehouse, but the Bronx rally marked his first public event, emphasizing his intent to challenge Democratic dominance in the state, which hasn’t supported a Republican for president since Ronald Reagan in 1984.
“The strategy is to demonstrate to the voters of the Bronx and New York that this isn’t your typical presidential election, that Donald Trump is here to represent everybody and get our country back on track,” said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., a potential Trump running mate who grew up in Brooklyn and spoke at the rally.
Trump began his speech with a tribute to his hometown, reminiscing about New York’s transformation from a small Dutch trading post to a cultural capital. Although he established residency in Florida in 2019, he fondly recalled his efforts to revitalize Central Park’s Wollman Rink and his real estate dealings. “Everyone wanted to be here,” he told the enthusiastic crowd. “But sadly this is now a city in decline.” Source: NBC New York
“If a New Yorker can’t save this country,” he continued, “no one can.”
Supporters, adorned in red “Make America Great Again” hats and other Trump merchandise, lined up hours before the rally began, with people still entering the park an hour into Trump’s speech.
The Bronx Democratic Party protested Trump’s appearance with their own event at the park, featuring union members holding signs that read “The Bronx says no to Trump” in both English and Spanish.
Democratic State Rep. Amanda Septimo, representing the South Bronx, criticized Trump, saying, “They talk about the Bronx and everything that’s wrong with it, but they never get to the part that talks about what they’re going to do for the Bronx and we know that Trump is never going to get to that part in his speech.”
However, some locals in the crowd had a different view. Margarita Rosario, a 69-year-old Bronx resident, was motivated to attend after seeing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggest that the Bronx wouldn’t support Trump. “I got so annoyed with that. I said, ‘How dare she speak for the whole Bronx?’” Rosario said.
Muhammad Ali, a 50-year-old Bronx resident, once thought Trump was racist but now plans to vote for him, citing Trump’s patriotism. “We need a patriotic president at the moment and I find Donald Trump more patriotic for the moment than Joe Biden,” said Ali, an immigrant from Bangladesh and worker for New York’s transportation agency.
Alfredo Rosado, 62, recalled his time as a doorman at Trump Tower, noting, “He’s the same person you see,” highlighting Trump’s unchanged demeanor.
Trump’s campaign believes he can sway Black and Hispanic voters, especially younger men who are frustrated with their economic situations and drawn to Trump’s tough-guy image. He has also claimed that his legal troubles make him relatable to Black voters frustrated with the criminal justice system, a claim Biden’s allies have sharply criticized.
In response, Biden’s campaign released ads targeting Trump’s attempts to appeal to Black voters, focusing on his propagation of the “birther” conspiracy against Barack Obama and his calls for the death penalty for the wrongly convicted Central Park Five. These ads will air on national Black radio stations and in major cities, including the Bronx.
The rally comes during a break in Trump’s criminal trial. Court proceedings will resume after Memorial Day, with closing arguments before the jury decides whether Trump will become the first former president to be criminally convicted and the first major party presidential candidate to run as a convicted felon.
Historically, the Bronx has been a Democratic stronghold. Barack Obama won 91.2% of the borough’s vote in 2012, and Biden secured 83.5% in 2020, while Trump received only 16%.
Trump’s choice of location was significant—about 65% of the Bronx residents are Hispanic and 31% are Black, with around 35% living below the poverty line, according to U.S. Census data. This rally marked a notable departure from his typical rally demographics.
