Trump hails lawmakers who arrested suspect in attempted murder
Donald Trump welcomed the Martin County Sheriff and eight of his deputies to Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Former President Donald Trump will make a campaign stop today in Long Island, New York, a state he has little chance of winning but one that is crucial to maintaining Republican control of the House of Representatives.
The Queens-born Republican presidential candidate addressed New York voters on Truth Social on Tuesday afternoon, saying, “Hundreds of thousands of migrants, crime at record levels, terrorists pouring in, inflation eating your heart out – WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE? VOTE TRUMP!”
New York traditionally votes with the Democratic Party – and that was no different for the candidate from New York City in 2016 and 2020. Although he was born and raised in New York City, he was soundly rejected by voters in his home state in every election.
But Trump’s campaign appearance on Wednesday, his second since the recent failed assassination attempt over the weekend, is more important for Republicans running in the Empire State.
Several Republican-dominated seats in the House are at risk this year, including those of Reps. Anthony D’Esposito of Long Island, Mike Lawler and Marc Molinaro of the Hudson Valley, and Brandon Williams of Syracuse in upstate New York. All of these representatives will face closely contested races in the November election.
The Trump campaign’s decision to visit the New York suburb of Nassau County is also no coincidence; the suburb has become a Republican stronghold over the past two years. With crime escalating in neighboring Manhattan during the COVID-19 pandemic, Long Island residents increasingly turned to the Republican Party, which promised to act as a safety net against New York’s liberal policies.
The strategy worked.
In 2022, Republicans won all four of Long Island’s congressional seats and dominated local elections in Nassau County, where Wednesday’s rally will take place.
As he concluded his term, Trump made several promises to New Yorkers: “I will work with the Democratic governor and mayor to ensure that the resources are provided to bring New York State back to a level it has not seen in 50 years. People are fleeing, maybe we can get them to ‘flee back’!”
Trump’s Long Island rally coincides with the original sentencing date in the Manhattan hush money case. New York State Judge Juan Merchan was scheduled to sentence him on September 18, but the sentencing has since been pushed back until after the general election on November 26.
Melissa Cruz is an election reporting expert who focuses on voter access issues for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) at @MelissaWrites22.
