Trump says he can win NY after historic Bronx rally: 2016 was 'nothing compared to what's happening now'
Trump told 'FOX & Friends' co-host Lawrence Jones he has 'special relationship' with New Yorkers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former President Donald Trump told "FOX & Friends" co-host Lawrence Jones he is confident he can win New York in November after rallying 25,000 supporters in the deep-blue Bronx — a district that hasn't voted Republican in a century.
"When you see all these people here of all different backgrounds, do you think the Republican Party can win here?" Jones asked Trump on Thursday. "Can you take over the city council, the mayor's office? The governor's office?"
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Well, I don't know about other races. I think we can win New York as a presidential candidate because I have a special relationship with these people," the former president responded.
Trump's event came on the heels of a visit to neighboring New Jersey, where he drew a crowd estimated between 80,000 and 100,000 in the traditionally blue state.
"We have the largest crowds we've ever had," Trump said, explaining that he increased his 2016 vote total by about 11 million in 2020.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I will say this, as good as 2016 and 2020 were, it's nothing compared to what's happening now, and you see that," he continued.
Trump rallied a crowd of what his campaign estimated to be 25,000 supporters at Crotona Park in the Bronx on Thursday, far more than the initial 3,500 it said were expected to attend. Those numbers appeared to also include those lined up outside the event — who waited hours for a shot at getting inside even after the event began.
The thousands that gathered to see the former president were a diverse group of people, including what Fox News Digital noted were Black, Hispanic, White, Asian and Muslim supporters. A number of attendees traveled from as far away as Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut, while many said they were from the Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Siena poll this month found Trump trailing Biden by nine points in New York, a state that Biden carried by 23 points in 2020.
One rallygoer told Fox News' Alexis McAdams that Trump "absolutely" can win the Empire State.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"A lot of times people take things for granted. People thought that Hillary [Clinton] was going to clinch the presidency… in a coronation, and that didn't happen, so there's always room for surprises," the attendee said.
Trump vowed to "turn New York City around" during the event, promising to bring back safety and better schools to the city.
He vowed, if elected, to work with Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams to fix the city and state, including renovating the subway system, cleaning up the parks and removing the homeless and mentally ill from the streets.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's time for a change of leadership," another attendee told McAdams. "We've been voting down the same party for years now and nothing has changed. Things have gotten out of control. We're dealing with housing situations. We're dealing with homelessness, the mentally ill, crime. There's a lot happening here. Inflation."
Trump also used the speech to rail against the economic issues facing the country under the Biden administration, with an emphasis on Black and Hispanic families. He repeated some of his often-used lines about energy, inflation and being "weak" on the foreign stage.
"I've always been raised to think a certain way," one supporter said, explaining she wants to "right a wrong" by electing Trump.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Brandon Gillespie, Paul Steinhauser and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.