Former President Trump said Thursday he had a “high chance” of winning New York in November’s presidential election, a state that hasn’t voted for a Republican candidate in 40 years.
Trump, talk After the rally in the South Bronx, “Fox & Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones expressed confidence that the historically Democratic state could swing in his favor in the polls.
Jones asked Trump why he chose to hold a rally in downtown New York City, where President Biden defeated Trump in 2020.
“Well, I did very well in the polls. I love the people of New York. They’re wonderful, they’re energetic, they’re entrepreneurial. They’re going to save New York, and we’re going to win New York. And if we win New York, the election is over,” Trump replied.
Jones pressed the former president on whether he really thought he could win the Empire State.
“I think we have a chance to win New York, something we haven’t won as a Republican in decades,” Trump said. “I think we have a pretty good chance.”
In 2020, Biden won New York state with more than 60% of the vote.
Trump’s rally took place in a park in one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods. Jones, who is black, told Trump there were more people at the rally who were “more like me than you,” and later said Trump was seeing growing support among black and Hispanic voters.
“I did something no one had done in my time in office: criminal justice reform. I did criminal justice reform on a level that no one thought was possible. And I did it primarily for the black and Hispanic communities. They were the ones that wanted it,” Trump replied.
New York was not the only traditionally Democratic state the former president visited recently, he also made stops in Minnesota and New Jersey.
Some strategists said Trump’s Bronx rally was more about showing his strength by drawing crowds in an unexpected place than actually flipping New York in November.
The location was conveniently close to the Manhattan courtroom proceedings currently taking place in Trump’s hush money trial.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who represents part of the Bronx, said Trump is “wearing an ankle bracelet” because the ongoing trial makes it difficult for him to leave New York’s five boroughs. She said the rally was primarily about raising money to cover Trump’s huge legal bills.
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