Former President Donald Trump holds a rally in the Bronx, a Democrat stronghold, as part of his 2024 campaign to win traditionally blue areas.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Crowds gathered in the Bronx on Tuesday for a historic rally held by former President Donald Trump, marking his effort to appeal to traditionally Democratic strongholds in the 2024 election cycle. The event took place in Crotona Park, where Trump aimed to address the challenges faced by local residents under the current administration.
“President Trump is going to speak directly to locals in the Bronx, in the borough, about how their lives have worsened under Joe Biden’s policies, particularly ‘Bidenomics,’ which has led to the highest inflation in a generation,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Spectrum News NY1.
The rally is part of Trump’s broader strategy to make significant inroads in areas that have traditionally supported Democratic candidates. With high inflation and economic concerns topping the list of voter issues, Trump’s message resonated with many attendees who are looking for a change in leadership.
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Despite Trump’s lack of chances in New York, where he lost by 23 percentage points in the 2020 election, his campaign believes a significant rally covered by major media could help him reach minority voters across the nation. “I think it’s part of this larger narrative where he’s trying to chip away at Biden’s support amongst Black and Latino men, primarily,” said Christina Greer, a political science professor at Fordham University. “By him going to the South Bronx, he can say ‘I’m talking to communities that Joe Biden is taking for granted.'”
Trump’s renewed focus on Black voters underscores both candidates’ attempts to appeal beyond their core supporters in a closely contested rematch, as reflected in recent national polls. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed an even split, with 40% of registered voters favoring Biden and 40% backing Trump.
In the 2016 election, Trump won the presidency with the least support from Black and Hispanic voters compared to any president in the last 40 years but managed to improve his standing with these groups in the 2020 race. According to a March New York Times/Siena College poll, Trump garnered 23% of Black and 46% of Hispanic respondents’ support in a hypothetical matchup with Biden. This is a notable increase from the 12% of Black and 32% of Hispanic voters he secured in 2020, per Edison Research exit polls.
Analysts attribute the decline in Biden’s support among non-white voters this cycle to the significant impact of inflation on those living paycheck to paycheck. At the Crotona Park rally, Trump is expected to emphasize the economy, crime, and immigration, with a particular focus on the effects of inflation under Biden’s administration.
The South Bronx, where roughly 77% of residents are Black or Hispanic according to 2022 census data, overwhelmingly supported Biden in 2020. To counteract Trump’s outreach, Biden has made efforts to strengthen his support among African American voters, such as delivering the commencement address at Morehouse College and highlighting the significant funding his administration has allocated to historically Black colleges and universities.
Trump’s campaign efforts have been intertwined with his legal battles. He is currently on trial in New York for allegedly falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to a porn star before the 2016 election, with a verdict expected soon. In April, Trump made a campaign stop at a convenience store in Harlem, another predominantly Black neighborhood in Manhattan that has historically voted Democratic.
South Bronx- Despite heavy rains this morning, Trump supporters have been out here lined up since as early as 8am for Trump’s rally which starts tonight at 6.
Many of them are drenched from the rain but in good spirits for tonight’s rally. pic.twitter.com/msEuw5NXep
— Savanah Hernandez (@sav_says_) May 23, 2024
Bronx is Ready for President Trump! pic.twitter.com/YuCCLZlrMq
— Gavin Mario Wax 🇺🇸 🗽🍊 (@GavinWax) May 23, 2024
Outside the Trump Rally 5 hours before the Rally in The South Bronx pic.twitter.com/8YbqKPyy4d
— kevin smith (@kevin_smith45) May 23, 2024
Da Bronx Is Rock With Trump!🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/TNkpzk6Bmk
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) May 23, 2024
"United we stand, divided we fall. Indict our president, you'd better indict us all"
The scene outside the Trump rally in the Bronx.
Footage by @NJEGmedia pic.twitter.com/EvE5ugP8nZ
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) May 23, 2024
The South Bronx is showing up for President Trump!
Crazy enthusiasm!! They love Trump! pic.twitter.com/UkfOEsMEzt
— Daniel Baldwin (@baldwin_daniel_) May 23, 2024
Trump also shared a video of voters explaining why they support the former president, writing, “THANK YOU—SEE YOU TONIGHT AT 6:00PM EASTERN!”