Staff Reports
New York, New York — It’s been longer than kids have been eating avocado toast since a Republican even entertained the idea of winning the liberal stronghold of New York. The last time the Empire State turned red in a presidential election was when the Gipper himself, former President Ronald Reagan, claimed victory in 1980. That’s even before cell phones were a thing!
Hell yeah //Trump Mulling Reagan-Inspired Election Rally in Attempt to Turn New York Red https://t.co/Q9fCYa3L4c
— stanistheman (@stanandamparo1) December 20, 2023
Fast forward to 2020, and President Joe Biden clinched the state with close to 61 percent of the vote, according to CNN. But things have changed, folks. Former President Donald Trump now believes he’s got a shot at pulling off a Reagan-esque upset and snatching New York away from the Democrats. Yes, you heard that right!
Trump, never one to shy away from a challenge, discussed this audacious idea during a recent trip to New York while chatting it up with Gavin Wax, the president of the New York Young Republicans group. According to Wax, Trump even talked about holding an event in a predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhood. The New York Post reported that during a dinner, Trump declared, “We’re going to take New York. I believe we have a great chance … With hundreds of thousands of people living on the sidewalks and streets and illegal aliens invading our city and state like nobody thought possible.”
The former president was referring to the migrant crisis in New York, which has forced the city to effectively end its “right to shelter” policy, leaving over 65,000 migrants in the city’s shelter system! This has led to budget cuts in crucial services, and let’s be honest, the situation is about as chaotic as a kindergarten class after having 10 gallons of apple juice. Even New York Mayor Eric Adams admitted that New Yorkers are furious about the crisis, but he claimed that he doesn’t have the authority to stop new migrant arrivals.
Now, let’s talk stats. Trump’s support among minority voters has skyrocketed since 2020, with Biden’s lead among Hispanics shrinking from 14 percent to just 3 percent, and among African Americans, dropping by 15 points! Those are some serious shifts, people. According to a new Emerson College poll, Trump’s black voter support has surged to 22 percent, up from 8 percent in 2020. The big leagues! Plus, the GOP managed to flip a long-held blue congressional seat in the Bronx this year for the first time in half a century.
If Trump actually goes through with the rally, it’s expected to happen after the 2024 Republican primary, which, let’s be real, he’s predicted to win by a landslide. Wax mentioned that the idea was inspired by Reagan’s 1980 visit to the South Bronx while he was campaigning before ultimately winning New York. After decades of Republican frustration, Trump seems to believe that with rising crime, economic turmoil, and shifting political winds, winning New York in 2024 is actually within reach. The city’s crises have left many lifelong Democrats feeling disillusioned and looking for new answers.
For Trump, the writing seems to be on the wall for the Empire State to turn red for the first time since Reagan’s victory, with disenchanted base voters, demographic shifts, and urban chaos pointing to a rare Republican opportunity. In short, it looks like the perfect storm could be brewing for Trump to make a strong showing in a state where the GOP has struggled for generations.
