Former President Donald Trump pulled off a campaign surprise with an incredibly successful rally in South Bronx on Thursday night.
The Bronx is New York City’s poorest borough, and South Bronx is its most impoverished area. The residents are predominantly black or brown and typically vote Democrat. No Republican presidential candidate has ventured into the area for decades.
Heavy rains flooded the park where the rally was planned to take place on Thursday morning. Bronx-based Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted “God is good” upon seeing the weather, hoping it would deter Trump supporters. She also taunted Trump about his legal issues, suggesting he was rallying in the Bronx because he was in the “legal version of an ankle bracelet.”
God is good regardless of political outcomes. In this case, He dried Crotona Park in the Bronx before a huge crowd filled the venue to hear one of Trump’s best campaign speeches yet.
“Certainly a bigger crowd than I think Democrats would like to see, particularly given this is one of the bluest counties in the entire country,” one CNN reporter conceded upon seeing the turnout.
Trump briefly mentioned his NYC trial but mainly focused on his campaign themes, expressing a deep affection for New York City and the nation. He appeared truly happy and at ease.
“I was thrilled to be back in the city I grew up in, the city I spent my life in, the city I HELPED BUILD, and the city WE ALL LOVE — THANK YOU!” Trump said on Truth Social. Although Trump grew up in Queens, he relocated to Florida in 2019. His glowing remarks about New York demonstrate a notably positive outlook, considering the city and state are actively trying to bankrupt and imprison him as part of a Democrat-led effort.
During his hour-and-a-half speech, Trump discussed lessons from his real estate successes in New York, offering career advice as well. Several local politicians and activists announced their endorsements and support for Trump.
When covering his economic and immigration policy proposals, Trump emphasized that his policies would benefit everyone. This is part of a strategic effort by his campaign to attract votes from black and Hispanic communities that typically vote Democrat.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or brown or white or whatever the hell color you are — it doesn’t matter. We are all Americans, and we are going to pull together as Americans!” Trump said.
The contrast with President Joe Biden was stark. In three recent speeches, Biden focused on racial grievances. At the National Museum of African American History and Culture last Friday, Biden claimed America was plagued by “forces trying to deny freedom of opportunity for all Americans.” He spoke of an “insidious” resistance and an “extreme movement” led by his political opponents to harm black people. After a troubled speech to the NAACP, the White House had to issue ten corrections.
At a commencement address at Morehouse College, a historically black men’s school in Georgia, Biden’s speech was filled with familiar inaccuracies about his life and family, painting a bleak picture of a racist and evil country.
He stated the country was afflicted by the “poison of white supremacy” and falsely claimed that Americans were pushing for a national book ban to harm black communities.
Biden questioned the efficacy of democracy, asking, “What is democracy if black men are being killed in the street? What is democracy if a trail of broken promises still leaves black communities behind? What is democracy if you have to be ten times better than anyone else to get a fair shot?”
Biden also falsely asserted that Georgia forbids giving water to voters in line and that black election workers are under constant attack.
Biden’s message is that the country is evil, racist, and full of hatred, and he plans to fix it by leveraging the Treasury to secure votes.
Trump, having already served a successful term as president, acknowledges the country’s significant economic, social, and foreign policy challenges. However, unlike Biden, his optimistic campaign speeches portray a man who seems to love the country, its cities, its people, and aims for national recovery.
Whether Biden’s divisive rhetoric or Trump’s unifying optimism will prevail remains to be seen. The South Bronx rally demonstrated the potential success of the latter approach.
