Trump to Host Long Island Rally to Win Over New Yorkers

Former President Donald Trump is intensifying his campaign efforts in New York, a traditionally blue state, with a large rally scheduled for Wednesday in Long Island. This event marks his second rally in the state since the start of his campaign, following multiple stops that coincided with his court appearances related to his New York civil fraud trial.

The rally will take place at the Nassau Coliseum, which has a capacity of 16,000 attendees. However, Trump’s campaign claims that over 60,000 tickets were requested, indicating that it could be one of his largest rallies during this campaign cycle.

In the lead-up to the rally, vendors set up shop outside the Coliseum, selling a variety of Trump merchandise. The atmosphere was festive, complete with music playing from speakers, golden cars adorned with Trump’s image, and sparkling Trump-themed jackets. Long lines of supporters formed around the venue hours before it opened its doors.

This event coincides with a significant moment in Trump’s legal battles, as he was originally scheduled to be sentenced in his New York civil fraud case on the same day. However, a judge recently postponed his sentencing to November 26, after the presidential election.

Trump is actively courting potential voters in New York by pledging to reverse a tax policy he enacted in 2017. In a post shared on his social media platform, he stated his intention to “get SALT back,” indicating his desire to eliminate the cap on state and local tax deductions. This cap, which was established in his 2017 tax law, is currently set at $10,000.

The Republican delegation from New York’s congressional district has been advocating for the removal of the SALT deduction cap, and they are at the forefront of the ongoing discussions surrounding this issue. Trump’s renewed focus on this tax break has garnered support among local Republicans, although it has also prompted concerns regarding potential increases to the federal deficit due to his proposed series of tax cuts.

In a bold call to voters, Trump proclaimed, “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE? VOTE FOR TRUMP! I will turn it around, get SALT back, lower your Taxes, and so much more,” as he prepared for the rally.

Earlier in the year, Trump expressed his intention to turn New York into a Republican stronghold during a rally in the predominantly Democratic South Bronx, a neighborhood with a significant Hispanic and Black population. He asserted that his support among voters in these communities is unprecedented, remarking, “Don’t assume it doesn’t matter just because you live in a blue city. You live in a blue city, but it’s going red very, very quickly.”

Throughout this campaign cycle, Trump’s team has aimed to engage with New Yorkers in an effort to diminish Democratic enthusiasm and energize down-ballot races. This rally is also his first major event following an apparent assassination attempt on him while he was on the golf course in West Palm Beach the prior Sunday.

The Nassau rally is expected to see a crowd four times larger than the nearly 4,000 attendees at a recent town hall event he hosted in Michigan. Trump’s campaign strategy has included multiple smaller gatherings in New York City, coinciding with his court appearances during a seven-week trial earlier in the year regarding hush money payments. Each of those stops allowed him to address campaign messages directly to the public.

In April, Trump made a visit to a bodega in Harlem, which had been the site of a fatal stabbing two years prior, to draw attention to what he labeled the failures of Democratic prosecutors in maintaining public safety. Shortly thereafter, he visited a construction site in Manhattan to promote his support among union workers and working-class voters.

As Trump continues to make a concerted effort to engage voters in New York, he remains focused on energizing his base and possibly shifting political dynamics in a state where he faces significant challenges.

Source: ABC News