Former President Donald Trump is taking a break from campaigning in swing states Wednesday, holding a rally in deep-blue New York.
The Republican candidate spent the night at Trump Tower in New York City, ahead of the event in Nassau County, Long Island.
Nassau County Police Department announced street closures and heightened security for the event, which comes three days after the second assassination attempt on the former president.
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Supporters of Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump wait for the start of his campaign rally at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on September 18, 2024 in Uniondale, New York. Trump took a break from swing-state campaigning to hit Nassau County, which he lost in 2016 and 2020.
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What time is Donald Trump’s New York rally?
The rally is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. E.T. Doors open at 3 p.m.
Some Trump supporters were already camping out Tuesday night to get in, with the parking lot opening at 8 a.m. Wednesday for in-person attendees.
Around 60,000 people requested tickets to attend the event, but only around 16,000 seats were available.
Where is Trump’s rally being held?
The latest campaign event is happening at Nassau Coliseum, in Nassau County, N.Y. The arena plays host to basketball, MMA, boxing and hockey, as well as concerts and theater.
In 2020, President Joe Biden beat Donald Trump with 54.3 percent of the vote, against 44.7 percent, in the county. Trump also lost there in 2016, beaten by Hilary Clinton, who got 51.3 percent of the vote.
Part of the county was represented by former congressman George Santos, who was expelled in December 2023. New York’s 3rd Congressional District is now represented by Democrat Tom Suozzi.
Local officials announced enhanced security at the venue, following the attempted assassination of the Republican at his golf course in West Palm Beach in Florida at the weekend.
“Every inch of that property in that perimeter and the perimeter is as large as we need to make it, we will make sure that it is safe and it will be swept, we will have aviation over top during arrival and during the time of the event and we will also have our K-9 dogs out in the wooded areas,” Patrick Ryder, Nassau County Police Commissioner, told reporters Tuesday.

Supporters of Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump wait for the start of his campaign rally at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on September 18, 2024 in Uniondale, New York. Trump held his first rally after Saturday’s apparent assassination attempt, the second one in two months after being injured at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Ryder was joined by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Trump supporter, and other elected officials, who said the county was working with the Secret Service and the New York State Police and others to coordinate security for the rally.
Blakeman said Nassau County had much experience with high-security events, including presidential debates, world leader visits and high-profile sporting events, including a recent cricket tournament that brought in tens of thousands of spectators, and was specifically threatened by ISIS.
Police did respond to a “suspicious occurrence” ahead of the rally Wednesday, after reports of an explosive device. Officers found no evidence of any explosives or bombs.
How to watch Trump’s New York rally
Major news networks are expected to carry the rally when it begins at 7 p.m., including C-SPAN.
Large screens will also be placed outside the arena for those unable to get tickets.
Donald Trump’s own campaign will also livestream the event on its YouTube channel.
Who else will appear at the rally?
The event has been coordinated with the help of Blakeman, a leading member of the local Republican party who recently gained national attention for spearheading the country’s first post-pandemic ban on face masks in public.
Republican incumbent Representative Anthony D’Esposito is due to speak ahead of Trump, while three other Republicans in New York swing seats were avoiding the event, the New York Times reported.
Outside the rally, Democrats are expected to hold their own rally, featuring members of the county’s Haitian community.
Organizers said they would “denounce Trump’s hateful rhetoric and dangerous lies” at the counter-rally.






