In early March, just after the Super Tuesday results came out, former President Donald Trump stated that he was committed to winning some of the states that are usually seen as leaning Democratic. Although he didn’t then share specific plans, he mentioned New York State as one of the states he plans to win, which came as a huge surprise to millions of Americans since no Republican has won the state in decades.
The recent rally
Last week, Trump held a rally in New York, and it went better than many anticipated. Although it’s hard to tell the exact number of supporters that gathered in the Bronx last Thursday, it was evident that those who attended “enjoyed the ride.” In 2020, Trump lost New York State by 23 points, and the rally very likely served as a symbolic event to put on display the small but potentially important shifts in the demographic makeup of his MAGA coalition. Being ordered to attend every court hearing at the hush-money trial, Trump used his presence in the area to once again point out the shift of Hispanic and Black voters from supporting President Joe Biden towards the likely Republican nominee.
A problem for Democrats
While key battleground states remain the focus of both presidential candidates, Trump has recently widened the gap against Biden in most of these states, suggesting that Biden is losing some key voter groups. Black and Hispanic voters are shifting towards Trump in huge numbers as President Biden fails to regain their support, especially from Black voters. Recent New York Gov. Kathy Hochul controversial comments for Black people in New York made things even worse for the Biden camp, but last week Hochul called Trump’s NY supporters ‘clowns’ further escalating the situation.
Comparing to Hillary Clinton
Politicians statewide expressed shock and anger on Friday in response to comments made by New York Governor Kathy Hochul. After a rally on Thursday that attracted a varied group of Donald Trump’s supporters, Hochul referred to them as “clowns” during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper. She was discussing her belief in President Joe Biden’s chances of winning in New York when she made the remark.
“I’ll tell you what won’t make a difference at all Jake and that’s for Donald Trump to be the ringleader and invite all his clowns to a place like the Bronx,” Hochul said.
The governor’s right-wing critics quickly condemned her remarks as another sign of Democratic elitism. Hochul’s words sparked a flood of disapproval, reminding some of Hillary Clinton’s controversial 2016 statement that disparaged Trump’s supporters. “You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the ‘basket of deplorables,’” Clinton said in 2016.
Backlash
“Oh [Kathy Hochul] first you say conservatives shouldn’t live in NY, then you say blacks don’t know what a computer is, now you call half the country “clowns”… your disdain for voters is matched only by your ability to put your foot in your mouth,” Rep. Michael Lawler posted to X.
Oh @KathyHochul … first you say conservatives shouldn’t live in NY, then you say blacks don’t know what a computer is, now you call half the country “clowns”… your disdain for voters is matched only by your ability to put your foot in your mouth. https://t.co/d4UZkz6dOO
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) May 24, 2024
“She needs to actually take some time to talk with her citizens,” Trump ally Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida) told Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany. “They are people that work hard every day. They are people who have toiled in the misery and some of the misery that frankly does occur in New York and they want something better.”
“He has probably spent more time in the Bronx in his life she has spent in her life,” New York Conservative Party Chairman Gerald Kassar told the Post. “You want to talk about NYC and make comments like that? Maybe she needs to spend more time outside of her ivory tower in midtown Manhattan.
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis reaction
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis released the following statement slamming New York Governor Kathy Hochul for her repeated disrespectful remarks about New Yorkers, most recently calling Trump supporters clowns:
“Once again the governor is insulting her constituents in a reoccurring pattern of arrogance and disrespect. First, she told New York Republicans to ‘jump on a bus and head down to Florida’ where they belong, then she said Black kids in the Bronx don’t know what a computer is, and now she’s calling her Trump-supporting constituents in the Bronx “clowns.” She preaches tolerance and acceptance, then repeatedly insults New Yorkers who don’t agree with her political views. These comments are unbecoming of any elected leader, particularly a governor who represents one of the largest states in our union. Governor Hochul should immediately apologize to the New York City residents who attended last night’s rally simply because they believe in secure borders, safe streets, and oppose the Democrat policies that have made our city, state and nation less affordable, less livable and less secure.”
