Donald Trump, the former president, will hold a campaign rally Thursday at Crotona Park — and some local elected officials are making it clear he will not be welcomed.
Trump — who will soon hear closing arguments in the trial against him in Manhattan on charges of falsifying business records — will likely hear both cheers and jeers from thousands of Bronxites anticipated to be in attendance. The rally permit was approved for 3,500 attendees, according to the Parks Department.
President Biden won 70% of the 2020 vote in New York, and the state’s presidential picks have been reliably Democratic since 1988. Although Trump’s support in the Bronx has been weak, he may be hoping to build off momentum.
Trump, a Republican, picked up twice as many votes in 2020 compared to 2016 in three South Bronx Assembly districts. And while overall turnout in 2020 was higher than in 2016, the gains marked a better-than-expected — but still relatively small — showing among predominantly Latino voters in the South Bronx.
Even so, he is not expected to be greeted with laurels from local residents.
The office of Assemblymember Amanda Septimo, who represents the 84th District, is holding a response rally at 6 p.m. at Crotona Park East and Southern Boulevard. Septimo will be joined by members of local unions, political organizations and nonprofits, along with Bronx Assembly colleagues Karines Reyes, Chantel Jackson, George Alvarez, John Zaccaro Jr., and Kenny Burgos, as well as state Sen. Luis Sepúlveda.
The gathering is “an affirmative expression of our values and what The Bronx (and New York) actually stands for,” according to a spokesperson for Septimo.
U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, whose district includes Crotona Park, recently took to the op-ed pages for a strong statement of dismay at Trump’s planned visit.
“The South Bronx has no greater enemy than Donald Trump, who is on a mission to dismantle the social safety net on which Bronx families depend for their survival,” Torres wrote in a op-ed published Tuesday and posted on Instagram. “The South Bronx — the most Democratic area in the nation — will not buy the snake oil that he is selling,” said Torres.
However, at least one group — led by Ruben Diaz, Sr., a Bronx minister and former member of state Senate and City Council — recently took to the streets in support of the former president.
The Post Millennial posted a video on X on May 18 of the group displaying Trump 2024 signs, chanting Trump’s name and marching with a banner reading “The South Bronx for Donald Trump.”
But Burgos re-posted the video with the comment, “I’ve seen more people waiting for a Bx 36 bus than this ‘rally.’”
With a large crowd and national media presence expected Thursday, the Bronx Times reached out to NYPD to inquire about security and safety preparations and is awaiting response.
The Bronx Times will attend Thursday’s rally and provide real-time updates via X (formerly known as Twitter).
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
