Trump steers clear of swing states for Madison Square Garden moment

Donald Trump is finally having his Madison Square Garden moment.

With just over a week until Election Day, the former president will take to the stage at one of the nation’s most iconic venues on Sunday and host a rally in his hometown to deliver the closing message of his campaign against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Madison Square Garden is the center of the universe,” Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller said, noting the venue’s storied history of hosting events including the 1971 “Fight of the Century.”

The sidewalks outside the arena were filled with Trump supporters wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats. There was a heavy security presence. Streets were closed and access to Penn Station was restricted.

The rally is one of a series of detours Trump has made through battleground states; these include a recent rally in Coachella, Calif. (the town is known for its famous eponymous music festival) and a rally at the Jersey Shore in May. He campaigned in the South Bronx this summer.

While some Democrats and TV pundits have questioned Trump’s decision to stage what they dismiss as flashy events, the rally guarantees Trump what he desires most: the spotlight, wall-to-wall coverage and a national audience.

In addition to mobilizing his base, Trump’s campaign is also trying to sway a small number of undecided voters, many of whom do not get their news through traditional channels.

To reach them, Trump spent hours appearing on popular podcasts. His campaign has worked to create viral moments, like his visit to a McDonald’s restaurant last weekend; He made fries and served supporters through the drive-thru window. The video of the stop posted by his campaign has been viewed more than 40 million times on TikTok alone.

“He won’t just be speaking to attendees at Madison Square Garden. People from battleground states all over the country will be following us,” said former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, a New York Republican and ally of the former president. He said Trump has been talking about hosting an event at the venue since the start of his campaign.

Harris has also traveled to non-battleground states for major events aimed at delivering a national message. She appeared in Houston on Friday to talk about reproductive rights with music superstar Beyoncé, and will deliver her own closing remarks on Tuesday at the Ellipse in Washington, where Trump spoke ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

Trump will be joined at the rally by supporters including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who has spent tens of millions of dollars to support his campaign.

‘The most famous arena in the world’

Trump frequently compares himself to the country’s greatest artists. The former reality TV star has long talked about wanting to hold a rally in what has been dubbed the “World’s Most Famous Arena,” and has brought up the idea in interviews and private conversations.

“New York is part of his DNA. Madison Square Garden is part of his DNA,” said New York State Republican Chairman Ed Cox.

While Trump continued to insist that the rally was part of his effort to win New York — a victory that state President Joe Biden rode with more than 60 percent of the vote four years ago — he also made clear that it was personal.

“This is New York, but it’s also MSG, Madison Square Garden,” Trump said in a recent radio interview. “Those words mean a lot to guys like you and me. Madison Square Garden, right? Don’t you think? … This is a big stop.”

The venue also has a history in politics, hosting events with Dwight Eisenhower and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1962, John F. Kennedy Jr. held a birthday celebration at the stadium, where Marilyn Monroe famously sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President.”

But if there’s one piece of Garden history that Trump might want to replicate, it’s Grover Cleveland’s acceptance of his party’s nomination in 1892, three years after leaving the White House. By winning the election, he became the first and only president to serve two consecutive terms.

Home inspection can be conducted in the suburbs of New York

Beyond the national attention and the allure of appearing on one of the world’s most famous stages, Republicans in the state say the rally will also help candidates get down votes.

New York is hosting a series of competitive congressional races that will determine which party controls the House of Representatives next year.

Zeldin failed to run for governor in 2022, but he performed better than expected, boosting turnout in competitive districts and helping House Republicans win a slim majority. He said this underlines the importance of making the top of the ticket as good as possible. He said the Garden event would be sure to appear on news programs in areas with high-stakes races, such as the Long Island suburb where Trump held a crowded and noisy rally last month.

Trump will also use the stoppage as a major fundraising opportunity as he continues to fall significantly behind Harris in the money race.

A native returns to the city that made and condemned him

New York hasn’t voted for a Republican for president in 40 years. But that didn’t stop Trump from insisting he believed he could win.

“We think there’s a chance,” he said on “The Brian Kilmeade Show” earlier this week, citing frustrations with the influx of immigrants into the city and concerns about crime.

Trump routinely uses his hometown as a foil in front of audiences in other states, painting a dark vision of the city that bears little resemblance to reality. He sees it as crime-ridden and overrun by violent immigrant gangs who have taken over Fifth and Madison avenues and occupied Times Square.

Trump has a complicated history with where he built his business empire and made him a tabloid and reality TV star. Residents last year charged him with 34 felonies for falsifying business records. He was found guilty in this case and was also found liable in civil court for commercial fraud and sexual exploitation.

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Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.