Donald Trump It turned New York City from blue to red — at least for a moment. on sunday during his Madison Square Garden rally, where he made familiar remarks at what can only be described as a second Republican National Convention.

“I want to start by asking a very simple question, are you better off now than you were four years ago?” Trump said. he said. at the beginning of his speechIt took place more than two hours after he was scheduled to address the crowd.

The audience erupted in applause as Trump’s familiar speech began.

“I’m here today with a message of hope for all Americans,” the Republican presidential candidate said. “I will end inflation. I will stop the invasion of criminals coming into our country. And I will bring back the American dream, we need the American dream to come home. Our country will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger than ever before.”

The former president spent Sunday in Manhattan, where he had virtually no chance of winning. The island overwhelmingly supports Democratic rival Kamala Harris, but a massive rally in her hometown drew thousands to the famous arena. Red MAGA hats were seen all over New York City, while supporters lined the streets of Midtown for hours. They booed, shouted, and waited for the chance to see Trump in whatever way they did. It was a seven hour rally.

At least 30 high-profile people close to Trump or his campaign spoke before about 19,000 people hours before the former president’s speech.

Speakers included vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, presidential transition team Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, their children Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, billionaire Elon Musk, wrestler Hulk Hogan and TV star Dr. There was Phil and more. more than a dozen others.

Hogan broke into the wrestling theme song by waving the American flag and ripping off his shirt, bringing the crowd to their feet at Madison Square Garden, where he headlined 1985’s Wrestlemania. During his speech, Hogan mentioned comparisons to the rally in 1939. Nazi rally in the same arena.

“I don’t see any smelly Nazis here. “I don’t see any rotten domestic terrorists here,” he said. “All I see here is a bunch of hard-working men and women who are real Americans, brother.”

Musk, who spent tens of millions of dollars campaigning for the former president, said he was “not just MAGA, I’m Dark Gothic MAGA” while wearing all black.

Telsa’s founder noted the energy that got the crowd in the arena excited. He added that America would not only be great under Trump, but would also reach never-before-seen heights, promising to get government “off people’s backs” and “out of their pockets.”

“Honestly, you guys are amazing,” Musk said as the crowd chanted his name. “This is the very American kind of positive energy.”

Even Trump’s wife Melania Trump made a speech with an unexpected appearance — a tradition he disparaged at the official RNC over the summer.

“Our hometown, where architectural symbols of strength, courage and unity form a canvas for the undisputed industrial capital of the world,” Melania said.

He then embarked on a trio that painted a bleak picture of New York, even though statistics showed otherwise.

The massive rally served as a “closing argument” to reveal who the Republican party is before voters head to the polls. With nine days until the end of the vote, the former president chose to hold a rally in one of the top Democratic-voting cities in the United States, making statements that mimicked his previous rally speeches and rambled on in front of crowds that had been waiting in line for hours before the election. The doors opened at noon.

He alleged misinformation about immigrants coming to the United States and claimed that prisoners and gangs were coming from Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of Congo to take over cities, including Times Square.

Trump said, “The USA is now an occupied country.”

There is no evidence that prisoners from other countries are being “dumped” into the United States. In Aurora, Colorado, police identified 10 members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang and nine were arrested.

Trump mentioned the US-Mexico border and the “invasion” from the south in several parts of his speech. He has called for the death penalty for immigrants who commit murder, condemned the Biden administration for the number of illegal crossings and promised to undertake the largest deportation effort in the country’s history.

“We will not be invaded, we will not be occupied, we will not be conquered,” the Republican candidate said.

Trump repeated his promise Lies about the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane HeleneHe claimed the White House used FEMA funding to support immigrants, not hurricane victims. In particular, he claimed that his campaign was in the lead “in every volatile situation.” Polls show Trump and Harris essentially tied.

He also attacked his Democratic opponent’s record, calling him “an individual with a very low IQ.”

“He destroyed San Francisco, along with the worst of them, Governor Gavin Newscum. “They destroyed California by being one of the worst governors in the country,” Trump said. “And he will no longer have the chance to destroy our country. “We will take it back quickly.”