‘I do not see no stinking Nazis right here!’ Daily Mail goes behind the scenes at Trump’s Madison Square Garden extravaganza – and divulges the shocking reality concerning the MAGA crowd that turned NYC purple
As he strode into Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, the former president paused, soaking up the wild applause of 20,000 chanting, whooping groupies.
Donald Trump, arguably the world’s greatest showman, had taken his campaign to the world’s greatest stage – ironically, in a city he believes wants to destroy him – to make his final bid for the presidency.
Of the metropolis where he still faces sentencing over 34 felony convictions in the Stormy Daniels hush money case, the real estate mogul declared: ‘I’m back in the city I love.’
His eldest son Donald Jr had earlier stamped home that theme to the roaring MAGA hordes in more spectacular fashion: ‘The King of New York is back to reclaim the city that he built.’
As he strode into Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, the former president paused, soaking up the wild applause of 20,000 chanting, whooping groupies.
Certainly, inside and outside the arena, that feeling was being reciprocated.
Streets teemed with the tens of thousands of Trump supporters. And those were the ones who didn’t make it into the packed 19,700-seater arena.
All manner of MAGA fans had journeyed from far and wide to reach the Big Apple. There were ‘Jesus for Trump’ supporters, ‘Jews for Trump’ and even a group of ‘Japanese for Trump’.
Waiting in line, 62-year-old Amy Lee told me she had fled communist Vietnam in 1975 and her husband Covan had been caught 18 times trying to escape before finally joining her in the United States.
This was Lee’s 60th Trump rally and the couple had traveled from San Diego, California. ‘We don’t take freedom for granted,’ she said. ‘We don’t want to lose this country. There’s no other place to flee to.’
Sue Caddoo, 58, from Putnam County in upstate New York, gushed: ‘Trump is taking down the deep state and so many people are oblivious that there even is a deep state.’
Inside The Garden, in midtown Manhattan, the scene of so much combative history, controversy, music, sporting joy and despair – Trump’s supporters got what they came for… eventually. One needs patience and stamina for a Trump rally.
The five-hour show was a carefully engineered and controlled spectacle, buffeting the crowd between showbiz razzmatazz and speakers who felt like warm-up acts for the warm-up acts.
There were shouty and foul-mouthed exclamations, and a comedian who delivered an astonishing insult to the 3.2 million people of Puerto Rico.
All manner of MAGA fans had come to the Big Apple from across the country. There were ‘Jesus for Trump’ supporters, ‘Jews for Trump’ and even a group of ‘Japanese for Trump’.
Waiting in the line, 62-year-old Amy Lee (above, right) told me that she had fled communist Vietnam in 1975 and her husband Covan (left) was caught 18 times trying to escape before finally reaching the United States.
Sue Caddoo, 58, from Putnam County in upstate New York, gushed: ‘Trump is taking down the deep state and so many people are oblivious that there even is a deep state.’
The star cast included vice presidential nominee JD Vance, Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the usual Trump family clan, his flamboyant attorney Alina Habba, former NYC mayor Rudy Guiliani and even fallen former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson.
Senior Trump advisor Dan Scavino was the first to deny parallels being drawn by Democrats, comparing the rally to a Nazi gathering at The Garden in 1939.
Retired WWF wrestler Hulk Hogan did the same but in a more forthright fashion. He stormed on stage in a fluorescent red boa and ripped off his shirt to his thumping soundtrack ‘Real American’, declaring: ‘I don’t see any stinking Nazis here.’
Failed presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy delivered a rabble-rousing performance that included a vow to kick ‘three million bureaucrats out of the deep state’.
And Musk, who has given a staggering $119 million to help Trump win the White House, was naturally exuberant with shades of an excited schoolboy. He claimed he could save the country $2 trillion with a ‘department of government efficiency.’
But the event was almost stunned into silence in the opening minutes when controversial comedian Tony Hinchcliffe joked: ‘There is literally a floating island of garbage in the ocean. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.’
Retired WWF wrestler Hulk Hogan stormed on the stage in a fluorescent red boa and ripped off his shirt to his thumping soundtrack ‘Real American’, declaring: ‘I don’t see any stinking Nazis here.’
Adrian Amonta from Brooklyn and Daniella Perez from Queens at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024
The remarks brought fury from many quarters, including Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin and a rare rebuke from Team Trump, which is often so hesitant to admit its mistakes.
The man himself finally emerged just before 7:15pm – over two hours late and introduced by his wife Melania, who stunned the auditorium with a surprise appearance, shimmering on stage in a zebra pattern dress.
It was the first campaign rally that the former First Lady has appeared at this year – and while she attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July, she did not speak then.
‘Let us charge together with a shared vision that builds on American greatness,’ Melania told the cheering thousands. ‘Let’s seize this moment and create a country for tomorrow — the future that we deserve.’
‘New York City and America need their magic back,’ she smiled and said simply: ‘And now…’
He was on.
Walking up to Melania to the sound of Lee Greenwood’s God Bless The USA, the pair kissed each other three times on the cheek and lingered in a long hug.
This was not a moment to be rushed.
But all that was soon forgotten when the man himself finally emerged just before 7:15pm and introduced by his wife Melania, who stunned the auditorium with a surprise appearance.
And though the former president provided a tighter performance devoid of the verbal wanderings that have afflicted many of his recent speeches, within 50 minutes, several thousand had headed for the exits.
Not out of boredom, but perhaps because these supporters had perhaps seen enough of the man they believe can take America in a different direction. We all know the messages by now.
‘This will be America’s new golden age.’
‘Kamala, you’re fired!’
‘We will make America affordable again.’
‘The United States is an occupied country… nine days from now will be liberation day.’
After an hour and 20 minutes, it was a wrap. Trump and Melania together again on stage in The Garden. A male singer belting out Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’.
Trump certainly came, he saw and vowed to conquer the city and state that has not turned red since Ronald Reagan’s landslide re-election in 1984.
Heather Ptak, 48, dressed in all-red leather said: ‘This is the place for him. This is the place for those who dream and it’s time to dream big again. He’s a fighter. He’s a fighter. He keeps showing up for the people and I love that.’
Heather Ptak, 48, dressed in all-red leather said: ‘This is the place for him. This is the place for those who dream and it’s time to dream big again.’
Indeed, the oft-repeated words ‘fight, fight, fight’, famously uttered by Trump moments after the July assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, were a theme of the night.
It was fitting for a venue that famously hosted the first of two Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier battles with Ali losing the initial match in 1971.
Ali ‘The Greatest’ refused to publicly admit defeat to Fraiser and when they faced off again in 1974. That time, he won.
Trump’s history with Madison Square Garden is yet to be written.
