The surroundings of Madison Square Garden in New York were filled with thousands of supporters of the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, hours before the former president made his appearance at this iconic venue to hold a rally during the final week of the campaign. The crowd of supporters caused street closures and traffic problems even before the scheduled start time of 5 PM, for which approximately 19,500 seats had been reserved, which according to Trump's campaign sold out quickly.
Among the attendees, there were Orthodox Jews who stated that with Trump, the alliance with Israel is more secure compared to Kamala Harris. "That's why we will vote for him," some of those attendees claimed. Trump was expected to appear alongside other prominent figures from his campaign, such as Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Dana White. Despite being in a predominantly Democratic city and a state where polls favor Kamala Harris, Trump defied expectations by holding his second rally in New York.
The choice of Madison Square Garden for this major rally was aimed at the candidate's intention to address all voters from an important location in the media hub of the world, such as New York. Despite the opposition and concerns about possible anti-Trump protests, the police presence was strong due to the location of Madison Square Garden near a major transportation station. The vast majority of attendees were white, some coming from neighboring states, although there was also a presence of Latinos planning to vote for Trump in the elections.
In a calm atmosphere, attendees wore red "Make America Great Again" caps and t-shirts with supportive messages. In the words of one of the attendees, "He defends family values better."
