In an interview on CNN with the news network’s Jake Tapper, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul predicted that an extensively hyped Trump rally held on Thursday in the New York City borough known as the Bronx wouldn’t “make a difference.” Trump lost New York by a massive margin in the 2020 election, and he also lost the Bronx in particular.
“Well, I’ll tell you what won’t make a difference at all, Jake, and that is for Donald Trump to be the ringleader and invite all his clowns to a place like the Bronx. New York will never, ever support Donald Trump for president,” Hochul insisted. “We know him better than anyone. And that means we understand what he’s all about.”
Trump’s campaign speech at the rally sounded relatively routine in Trumpian terms, with inaccurate complaints targeting migrants who’ve arrived to the city, who Trump has characterized as dangerous and destabilizing. In reality, there’s apparently no clear connection between these individuals and any surges of crime. Locally sourced statistics have shown relative consistency in such rates. Anecdotes don’t equal a trend!
Trump is currently at the tail end of a criminal trial in New York City, with closing arguments set for next Tuesday. The proceedings reaching that stage sets up the possibility of the ex-president becoming a convicted felon within mere days. He faces criminal charges of falsifying business records in connection to hush money from before the 2016 presidential election for a woman named Stormy Daniels, and a key part of prosecutors’ case is a contention that there was also a covert ambition to impact the presidential race that year in a manner favorable to Trump.
