He is currently touring construction sites in Manhattan, speaking out against local crime, and hosting meetings in his luxurious penthouse on Fifth Avenue.
After severing ties with his hometown for several years, Donald Trump has returned to New York, albeit as a defendant in a criminal trial. As the trial progresses, the Queens-born presumptive GOP nominee finds himself confined to the city on most weekdays. Despite the circumstances, he has been reminiscing about his past as a celebrity developer, reality TV personality, and frequent subject of tabloid headlines. Trump has been making weekly campaign stops in the local area, attempting to re-establish a connection with the place that both shaped his identity and posed challenges to his political aspirations – a place that may ultimately determine his fate.
After leaving court on Thursday, Trump made another stop by heading to a midtown Manhattan firehouse, carrying boxes of pizza with him. Trump spent approximately 10 minutes engaging with the firefighters and other personnel at the firehouse, shaking hands, posing for photos, and having conversations. He then returned to Trump Tower for the night.
The ongoing felony trial has limited Trump’s capacity to campaign nationwide. However, it also means that Trump now spends four days a week in the heart of the media industry, providing him with convenient locations for campaign events. This allows him to engage with voters and make efforts to regain the White House.
Former U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin, a Republican who ran against Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022 and narrowly lost, suggested that President Trump should make the most of his time in Manhattan by engaging with various communities across the city.
Zeldin chose not to disclose the specifics of his private conversations with Trump campaign aides. However, he did mention that his gubernatorial campaign encompassed visits to diverse neighborhoods with a significant Asian American presence, such as Chinatown and Flushing in Queens. Additionally, he engaged with Dominican communities in the south Bronx and Orthodox Jewish communities, among other groups.
According to the candidate, even though these neighborhoods had traditionally been loyal to the Democratic party, they were genuinely enthusiastic about his presence and appreciated that he was addressing their concerns and priorities, rather than blindly following partisan allegiances.
The media extensively covers Trump’s stops, reaching far beyond local businesses or community groups, as noted by him.
According to him, the video that gets captured ends up being shared extensively throughout the entire country.
During his visits to New York City, Trump’s intentions have often seemed more focused on running for mayor rather than on his campaign to regain the White House.
On Thursday, there was a significant gathering of reporters and cameras positioned across the street to capture President Trump’s visit to the firehouse. Inside the station, Trump expressed his gratitude to the staff for their dedicated service, according to FDNY spokesman Jim Long. It is worth noting that Trump had previously visited this firehouse, along with a neighboring police precinct, in 2021 when he returned to the city to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The FDNY expressed gratitude for the support of all individuals, regardless of their political affiliation, who stand by their members. They highlighted the fact that they have welcomed various leaders, such as former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Mike Pence, and every single one of the city’s mayors throughout the years.
During his previous visits, Trump has consistently attracted large crowds. On the second day of jury selection, the ex-president was swiftly transported by motorcade to a bodega located in a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Harlem. A considerable number of supporters and curious bystanders flocked behind police barricades, eagerly hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
During his visit to the bodega, which had witnessed a violent crime, Trump took the opportunity to criticize the district attorney responsible for the hush money case. Alvin Bragg faced criticism for pressing murder charges against a store cashier who had allegedly stabbed a customer in self-defense. Eventually, those charges were dropped.
Last week, Trump made a visit to the site of an unfinished skyscraper, which happened to not be one of his own. He warmly greeted the construction workers, shaking their hands and taking the time to sign their hats and helmets. Amidst the bustling construction site, he posed for pictures, with hard hats and steel beams serving as the backdrop.
The image reminded him of his days as a developer, a time when he was a prominent figure in the city. He often made headlines on the covers of New York’s competitive tabloids as he enthusiastically promoted projects adorned with his name in bold gold letters.
“We have constructed numerous remarkable buildings in this city alongside these individuals,” Trump expressed during the visit.
Trump is utilizing his iconic Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue to hold meetings with foreign leaders in anticipation of a potential second term. Among the notable figures he has met with are former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Trump, who became a Florida resident in 2019, didn’t spend much time in New York during his tenure as president starting from 2017. He made only a few visits to the state while in office, and after leaving the White House in 2021, he officially moved to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
In a Twitter post, now X, announced in 2019 that he had chosen Florida as his official home. While expressing his appreciation for New York, he stated that he had been treated poorly by the city and state’s political leaders, despite paying millions of dollars in taxes each year. When asked about his limited visits to the city as president, he explained to the New York Post that he had deliberately avoided causing traffic congestion with his presidential motorcade.
Trump Tower, where he filmed “The Apprentice” and later staged the 2016 campaign launch that he famously entered via escalator, was largely abandoned. Reporters camped out in the building’s lobby for weeks as Trump paraded a line of White House hopefuls through the lobby, along with celebrities like Kanye West, after his surprise victory.
Despite the fact that New York overwhelmingly leans Democratic, President Trump had expressed a strong desire to campaign in his hometown, believing that he had a shot at winning. However, in the 2020 election, President Joe Biden emerged victorious with 60% of the vote.
In addition to his unannounced visits to local businesses, Trump has expressed his intentions of organizing rallies in the south Bronx and at one of New York City’s most iconic venues, Madison Square Garden.
He has been actively involved in local news events and even made an appearance on his friend Sean Hannity’s primetime Fox News show. This happened while a police raid was taking place at Columbia University to remove and detain pro-Palestinian protesters.
“We’re going to heavily focus on New York,” Trump expressed during his visit to the Harlem bodega last month. “I have a deep affection for this city, and it has experienced significant challenges in the past three to four years. Our objective is to rectify the situation and bring stability back to New York.”
