Former President Donald Trump played the hits at a sold-out rally at New York City‘s Madison Square Garden—railing against migrants, inflation, and complaining about the Justice Department’s investigations into him, after a marathon rally featuring bristling speeches from the MAGA world’s biggest stars.
“I would like to begin by asking a simple question—are you better off now than you were four years ago?” the former president asked a cheering crowd of fans at the Midtown arena, who chanted “No!” back to him. The Trump campaign reportedly sold out of tickets for the 19,500 capacity arena, which is typically the home of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.
“I am here today with a message of hope for all Americans. With your vote I will end inflation. I will stop the invasion of criminals from coming into our country and bring back the American dream, we need the American dream to come back home. Our country will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer, stronger than ever before.”
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Trump used the rally to advocate for some new tax policies, including a tax credit for “family caregivers.” The policy mirrors a similar one proposed by Harris, which would extend Medicare to cover the cost of in-home healthcare.
“It’s about time that they were recognized,” Trump said. “They add so much to our country, but they’re never spoken of ever, ever, ever. But they’re going to be spoken of now.”
However, much of the Republican nominee’s subsequent speech was filled with fear—demonizing his opponents and portraying the country he ran only four years ago on the brink of collapse.
“Over the past four years, Kamala Harris has orchestrated the most egregious betrayal that any leader in American history has ever inflicted upon our people,” Trump said “She has violated her oath, eradicated our southern border, and unleashed an army of migrant gangs who are waging a campaign of violence and terror against our citizens. There has never been anything like it, anywhere in the world for any country.”
The speech followed an hours-long rally featuring some of Trump’s loudest celebrity supporters, including Hulk Hogan, Tucker Carlson, and Elon Musk. An early opener, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, bombed on stage after calling Puerto Rico a “floating pile of garbage,”—remarks that were broadly condemned by both Republicans and Democrats. Lawmakers including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville were also in attendance.
In the weeks leading up to the rally, Trump faced fierce criticism from some of his former staffers. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Trump, called Trump “fascist to the core,” veteran journalist Bob Woodward reported. John Kelly, his former chief of staff, told The Atlantic that the former president praised some of Adolf Hitler’s policies and the military generals serving in Nazi Germany.
Trump denied Kelly’s accounts, and has sought to portray the two men as disgruntled ex-employees.
But critics were quick to draw comparisons between Trump’s event and the notorious Nazi rally held at Madison Square Garden by the German-American Bund in 1939, on the eve of World War II. While the rally was underway, the Democratic National Committee projected the message “TRUMP PRAISED HITLER” on the side of the arena.
Some of the speakers addressed the comparison head-on. “I don’t see no stinking Nazis in here,” Hogan proclaimed. “I don’t see no stinking domestic terrorists in here. The only thing I see in here are a bunch of hardworking men and women that are real Americans, brother.”
Also in his speech, Trump bragged about the record-breaking early voting numbers reported in swing states. The early data available just shows how many registered Republicans, Democrats, and independents have voted in some states—not who those voters selected.
“We are leading every one of the swing states, all seven of them,” Trump still claimed. “We usually get them from behind, because Republicans like to vote on a thing called Election Day.”
When talking about the “weaponized” Justice Department, Trump thanked New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat elected in 2021. Adams was indicted on charges of bribery in September.
“Mayor Adams has been treated pretty badly,” Trump said. “I think they upgraded his seat in an airplane. That’s a very serious charge. I don’t know, maybe it was something else. But I have to tell you he’s been really great.”
Sunday’s event was not the first time Trump headlined an event in his home state this campaign season. In September, the former president spoke at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. “We are going to win New York,” he insisted to a crowd of supporters at the New York Islanders’ stadium. Trump lost the state in both 2016 and 2020.
On Sunday, Trump was similarly adamant about winning over the city where he was born. “We want to win our country, but we also want to win New York—and make it safe and strong and beautiful and affordable and vibrant again,” Trump said, before promising to work with the city’s mayor and governor to accomplish the somewhat vague goal.
As Trump concluded his speech, a singer took the podium to belt out a rendition of the theme from New York, New York as the former president and first lady smiled at the cheering crowd.
