Former President Donald Trump is preparing for a rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday evening. This decision involves leaving crucial battleground states to conduct what his campaign is calling an "epic event" in predominantly liberal New York City. This marks another instance of Trump campaigning in and around New York City, following previous events in May during his felony hush-money trial in the South Bronx and a September rally in Long Island where he expressed hopes of winning New York.
Historically, Trump has faced significant challenges in his home state, having lost there by approximately 23 percentage points in both the 2016 and 2020 elections. Current polls indicate that Trump trails Vice President Kamala Harris by around 15 points in New York State.
Despite these odds, the Trump campaign is heavily investing in the upcoming rally at Madison Square Garden, drawing notable figures such as former Representative Tulsi Gabbard, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, and Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance, to speak. These efforts come despite the absence of their presence in key swing states.
In contrast, Vice President Harris was in Pennsylvania, a swing state, on the same Sunday. She engaged with the community by speaking at the Church of Christian Compassion in West Philadelphia, visiting Hakim’s Bookstore, and interacting with locals at the PhillyCuts barbershop, where she sat in a chair known as the "lucky chair," a seat where candidates running for office have reportedly won after sitting in it.
The rally at Madison Square Garden also holds political significance. Among the scheduled guests are prominent Republicans such as House Speaker Mike Johnson and New York Representative Elise Stefanik. This highlights the campaign’s efforts to maintain Republican control of the U.S. House, especially considering the recent narrow victory in gaining U.S. House seats following the 2022 elections, owing to a few key districts in New York.
While Trump’s chances of winning New York may be slim, his campaign is evidently focused on sustaining Republican influence in the House. The rally also carries historical significance given the venue’s prominent political history, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s critical 1936 speech, a notable 1939 "Pro America Rally," Marilyn Monroe’s iconic birthday song to President John F. Kennedy in 1962, and the 2004 Republican National Convention.
NPR’s Asma Khalid contributed to this report from Philadelphia.
