Donald Trump is having his Madison Square Garden moment

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump finally has his moment at Madison Square Garden.

With just over a week before Election Day, the former president will take the stage at one of the most iconic venues in the country, where he will host a rally where he will deliver the closing message of his campaign against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Madison Square Garden is the center of the universe,” said Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller, noting the rich history of the venue that has hosted events including the 1971 “Fight of the Century.”

The rally is one of a series of tours Trump has made from battleground states, including a recent rally in Coachella, California – best known for the famous music festival named after that city – and a rally held at the Jersey Shore over the summer. He participated in the campaign this summer South Bronx.

Although some Democrats and television pundits question Trump’s decision to label what they see as a vanity event, the rally guarantees Trump what he desires most: a spotlight, wall-to-wall coverage and a national audience.

In addition to trying to shore up its base, the Trump campaign is trying to court the few remaining undecided voters, many of whom don’t get their news from traditional media.

To reach them, Trump spent hours appearing on popular podcasts. His campaign has produced viral moments, such as his visit to a McDonald’s restaurant last weekend, where he fried french fries and served supporters through a drive-thru window. A video of the stop posted as part of his campaign has been viewed more than 40 million times on TikTok alone.

“He won’t just be talking to the attendees at Madison Square Garden. There will be people from battleground states, from all over the country,” said former Republican Lee Zeldin, a New York Republican and ally of the former president, who said Trump had talked from the beginning about holding the event here on his campaign trail.

Harris also traveled to non-battleground states to participate in major events designed to convey the national message. On Friday, she appeared in Houston with music superstar Beyoncé to talk about reproductive rights and will give a talk her own final speech Tuesday from the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., where Trump spoke before Jan. 6, 2021 Riots in the Capitol.

Trump will be joined at the rally by supporters including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who has spent tens of millions of dollars to boost his campaign.

“The most famous arena in the world”

Trump often compares himself to some of the country’s greatest artists. The former reality star 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 its DNA,” said Ed Cox, chairman of the New York State Republican Party.

While Trump continues to insist that the rally is part of his effort to win New York – which state President Joe Biden carried out four years ago with more than 60% of the vote – he has made clear that it is also personal .

“It’s New York, but it’s also MSG, it’s Madison Square Garden,” Trump said during a recent radio interview. “Guys like you and me, these words mean a lot. Madison Square Garden, right? Don’t you think so? …It’s a very big stop.”

The place has one too history in politics, organizing events with Dwight Eisenhower and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1962, John F. Kennedy Jr. organized a birthday celebration at the stadium during which Marilyn Monroe famously sang “Happy Birthday to You, Mr. “President”.

But if Trump might want to repeat Garden history, it’s when Grover Cleveland accepted his party’s nomination in 1892, three years after leaving the White House. He won the election, becoming the first and only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Home inspections could extend to the New York suburbs

In addition to the national spotlight and the appeal of appearing on one of the world’s most famous stages, Republicans in the state say the rally will also help candidates who did not receive votes.

There are several competitive congressional races in New York that could determine which party takes control of the House next year.

Zeldin ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022, but did better than expected, driving turnout in competitive districts that helped House Republicans gain a slim majority. This underlined, in his view, the importance of the top end of the ticket doing as well as possible. He said the Garden event was sure to make news in areas with high-stakes races, such as suburban Long Island, where Trump held a crowded and raucous rally last month.

Trump will also use the break as a major fundraising opportunity as he continues to seriously lag Harris in the money race.

The native returns to the city that created and condemned him

New York hasn’t voted for a Republican for president in 40 years. But that doesn’t stop Trump from constantly insisting that he believes in victory.

“We think there’s a chance,” he said earlier this week on “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” pointing to frustration with the influx of migrants to the city and concerns about crime.

Trump routinely uses his hometown as a foil to audiences in other states, painting a dark vision of the city that bears little resemblance to reality. He rates it as crime-ridden and overrun by violent immigrant gangs that have taken over Fifth and Madison Avenues and occupied Times Square.

Trump has a complicated history with the place where he built his business empire, which has made him a tabloid and reality TV star. Last year, residents charged him with 34 crimes related to falsifying commercial documentation. He was found guilty in that case and found liable in a civil court for business fraud and sexual exploitation.

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Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Novi, Michigan, contributed to this report.