Former President Donald Trump took the stage Sunday night at New York’s Madison Square Garden to deliver his campaign’s closing argument with the election nine days away.
Trump began by asking the same questions he’s asked at the start of every recent rally: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” The crowd responded with a resounding “No!”
“This election is a choice between whether we’ll have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we’ll begin the greatest years in the history of our country,” he said after being introduced by his wife, Melania Trump, whose rare surprise appearance comes after she has been largely absent on the campaign trail.
Trump on Sunday added a new proposal to his list of tax cuts aimed at winning over older adults and blue-collar workers, which already includes vows to end taxes on Social Security benefits, tips and overtime pay: A tax credit for family caregivers.
The closing message he delivered Sunday, according to his campaign, is that Harris “broke” the country and that Trump “will fix it.” Rallygoers hours beforehand waved signs with the words “Trump will fix it.”
“We want to close it out with a beautiful bang,” Trump said last week.
Speakers at the Sunday event included Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the former independent presidential candidate who dropped out of the race and backed Trump, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and Howard Lutnick, who is chairman and CEO of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald and co-chair of the Trump White House transition team.
Also speaking were Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, and someone who painted a picture of Trump hugging the Empire State Building.
Hogan, returning to the venue where he performed years ago as a professional wrestler, seemed to reprise his character, emerging wearing a giant red, orange and yellow boa and violently waving a large American flag as he posed and danced. He spat on the stage during his speech, flexed his muscles repeatedly and told the audience: “Trump is the only man that can fix this country today.”
The arena was full hours before Trump was scheduled to speak. Outside the arena, the sidewalks were overflowing with Trump supporters in red “Make America Great Again” hats. There was a heavy security presence. Streets were blocked off and access to Penn Station was restricted.
Polls show the rival candidates are neck and neck with just over a week until Election Day. More than 38 million votes have already been cast.
The rally is one of a series of detours Trump has made from battleground states, including a recent rally in Coachella, California—best known for the famous music festival named after the town—and one over the summer on the Jersey Shore. This summer he campaigned in the South Bronx.
Along with trying to energize his base, Trump’s campaign has been trying to court the few remaining undecided voters, many of whom don’t get their news from traditional outlets.
To reach them, Trump has spent hours appearing on popular podcasts. And his campaign has worked to create viral moments like his visit last weekend to a McDonald’s restaurant, where he made fries and served supporters through the drive-thru window. Video of the stop posted by his campaign has been viewed more than 40 million times on TikTok alone.
“He’s not just going to be speaking to the attendees inside Madison Square Garden. There will be people tuning in from battleground states all across the country,” said former Rep. Lee Zeldin, a New York Republican and ally of the former president, who said Trump has been talking about holding an event at the venue since the start of his campaign.
Harris has also traveled to non-battleground states for major events intended to drive a national message. She appeared in Houston Friday with pop singer Beyoncé and will deliver her own closing argument Tuesday from the Ellipse in Washington.
Harris Campaigns in Philadelphia
On Sunday, Harris traveled to Philadelphia, the largest city and a Democratic stronghold in must-win Pennsylvania, and stopped in a black barbershop and a Puerto Rican restaurant to encourage people to vote.
Speaking at the Church of Christian Compassion on Sunday morning, Harris didn’t mention Trump by name. “In this moment we do face a real question: what kind of country do we want to live in?” she said.
After church, Harris told reporters that “Philadelphia is a very important part of our path to victory.”
“It’s the reason I have been spending time here,” she said. “But I’m feeling very optimistic about the enthusiasm.”
Harris then went to Philly Cutz, a barbershop in West Philadelphia, where she spoke to black men about improving racial representation in education. A poster of Barack Obama, the first black president, was on the wall.
“We don’t pay teachers enough,” said Harris. “ Student loan debt is an issue.”
Harris also visited Hakim’s Bookstore, which specializes in African American history.
“It’s beautiful. It’s just so beautiful,” she said and asked to see good books for 6- and 8-year-old children, the same ages as her nieces.
The next stop was a Puerto Rican restaurant named Freddy and Tony’s, where Harris thanked volunteers and told them “we are going to win.”
She also met with youth basketball players at a community center where she planned to give a speech before returning to Washington. The coach said the players are “student first, athlete second.” Harris told them to “think of your brain as a muscle and when you exercise it it gets stronger.”
‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’
By staging the attention-grabbing event in the world’s biggest media market, Trump could help boost Republican candidates in New York congressional races. The state has seven competitive seats that could help determine whether the party holds on to the House next year.
It could also give Trump a boost in nearby northeastern Pennsylvania, a battleground state that has increasingly become home for New York commuters.
Trump will also use the stop as a major fundraising opportunity. Trump’s campaign said the event at the 19,500-seat arena was sold out.
Trump has long talked about wanting to hold a rally at the venue dubbed “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” raising the idea in interviews and private conversations.
“New York is part of his DNA. Madison Square Garden is part of his DNA,” said New York State Republican Chairman Ed Cox.
While Trump said the rally is part of his effort to win New York, he’s made clear it’s also personal.
“It’s the New York, but it’s also, you know, it’s MSG, it’s Madison Square Garden,” Trump said during a recent radio interview. “Guys like you and I, that means a lot, those words. Madison Square Garden, right? Don’t you think so? … It’s a very big stop.”
The venue also has a history in politics, hosting events with Dwight Eisenhower and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1962, John F. Kennedy Jr. held a birthday celebration at the stadium where Marilyn Monroe famously sang “Happy Birthday to You, Mr. President.”
But if there’s one bit of Garden history Trump might want to replicate, it’s when Grover Cleveland accepted his party’s nomination in 1892, three years after leaving the White House. He went on to win the election, becoming the first and only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.