Donald Trump held a campaign rally in New York’s South Bronx neighborhood, aiming to win over black and Latino voters ahead of November’s presidential election.
Among those sharing the stage with him was Florida Republican Byron Donalds, a black congressman and rumored potential running mate.
This rally marked Trump’s first in New York in roughly eight years, as he tries to make inroads with ethnic minority voters.
A recent New York Times and Sienna poll suggests Democrat Joe Biden is losing support among this crucial voting bloc in key states.
The Bronx, a mainly Hispanic and black neighborhood, is a Democratic stronghold. Trump spoke directly to the New York audience about his impact on the city, where he built much of his fortune and fame.
He claimed that while the city once inspired the world, it is now spiraling into decline, citing crime and infrastructure issues.
He blamed Biden and record levels of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border for having an economic impact on minority voters.
“The biggest negative impact [of illegal immigration] is against our black population and our Hispanic population, who are losing their jobs, losing their housing, losing everything they can lose”, Mr Trump told the crowd.
Before Mr Trump’s arrival, there was concern about how he would be received in the Bronx.
“I wish he would just disappear,” one man told the New York Times ahead of the rally.
“Nobody I know supports him.”
Police presence was heavy at Crotona Park as counter-protesters gathered outside the rally.
They were eventually removed by New York police, according to the BBC’s US media partner CBS.
But people who spoke to the BBC said they appreciate Mr Trump’s willingness to step out of his comfort zone.
“It’s a bold move right here, him coming to the Bronx,” Geoffrey Davis said. “What he’s done here is very respectful.”
Mr Davis said he supports Mr Trump because “when he was president, there were no wars. No Ukraine-Russia. No Israel-Gaza”.
Thamar Corniel, a Trump supporter who was born in the Dominican Republic, said: “He’s America first.”
Mr. Trump has been increasingly trying to make inroads with minority communities, hoping to sway crucial swing states in his favor.
The race between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump is tight ahead of the November 5th election. In April, during a break from his criminal hush-money trial in New York, Mr. Trump visited a Harlem corner store. He also spoke at a gala for the Black Conservative Federation, an organization working to expand Republican support among black voters, and has hired a black media director, Janiyah Thomas.
However, there have been missteps. In February, he was criticized for suggesting that his four criminal indictments boosted his appeal with black Americans because they see him as a victim of discrimination.
According to a recent New York Times and Sienna poll, Mr. Trump is leading Mr. Biden in five battleground states, partly due to black and Latino voters drifting away from the Democratic Party. President Biden has taken notice, as that bloc was crucial to his win in 2020, and has spent millions of dollars on targeted advertising blitzes.
Young and non-white voters appear to be losing faith in Mr. Biden and the Democrats, growing frustrated with issues like inflation and the White House’s support for Israel.
During President Biden’s recent commencement address at Morehouse University, a historically black college, several graduates turned their backs on him in protest of his handling of the war in Gaza.
Olive branch to Haley
After the rally, Mr Trump extended an olive branch to his Republican primaries rival Nikki Haley, calling her a “very capable person” who he expected to serve on his team “in some form”.
Earlier this week, Ms Haley said she would vote for the man who beat her in the race for the Republican presidential nomination – a race that saw the two sides trade bitter insults.
“We have a lot of the same ideas, the same thoughts,” commented Mr Trump, acknowledging that their slanging match had been “pretty nasty”.
She ultimately withdrew and challenged her adversary to win over the millions of voters who picked her in the contest. The Biden campaign has been looking to woo the same groups.