It takes a special kind of person to make Midtown Manhattan feel deeply unsettling to any New Yorker.
But on Sunday morning, the typical chaotic energy of 34th Street was replaced with a more menacing vibe as groups of people donned Make America Great Again merchandise and screamed “U.S.A.” in the faces of passersby.
This is a town where street performers, strangers, crowds and a few unlucky downtrodden frequent the scenes, creating scenes unlike anywhere in the world. It’s why some are uncomfortable in the “craziness” of New York. Sunday’s pre-rally topped all of it.
One woman, wearing a bedazzled “MAGA” jacket, waved a selfie stick around and shouted, “New York is Trump country” around 9:30 a.m. Another woman, wearing a cheerleading uniform and shorts, kicked her leg into the air and screamed “Trump!”
A man impersonating North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un walked along barricades where hundreds of Trump supporters cheered and screamed hoping to get a photo. This is a man impersonating a dictator of a hermit kingdom. And he was getting cheers from the Trump crowd. In New York City.
The typical street vendors selling New York Yankees hats and “I Heart N.Y.” shirts were nowhere to be seen. Instead, folding tables of red MAGA hats and “We Heart Donald Trump” shirts lined the iconic midtown street.
As I walked down 33rd Street, hoping to talk to some people who traveled to New York City to attend Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden I couldn’t help but wonder: What on Earth is going on?
As soon as the former president announced he would be holding a massive rally at the iconic arena I knew I wanted to see who, if anyone, would show up for Trump in one of the bluest cities in the country.
Though this is his hometown, he is anything but welcome by most New Yorkers. When Trump was indicted in New York last year, residents took to the streets to celebrate the infamous real estate tycoon finally facing repercussions.
During his New York criminal trial, nearly no Trump fans showed up to support the former president. Some days there were single-digit people.
After his conviction, New York City residents laughed at the Trump supporters who took the train from Long Island, New Jersey or Connecticut to show up outside of Trump Tower for the former president.
I assumed his MSG rally would bring in some local supporters but I was shocked to experience the extent of it. Trump’s cult-like influence knows no limits, even in New York, where Trump is trailing Vice President Kamala Harris by 14 points.
Swarms of people in different versions of MAGA hats – bedazzled, camo, adored with pins – stood on 33rd and 34th Street between police barricades.
For three hours, I joined them, sticking out like a sore thumb in a black jean jacket sans MAGA hat. I chose not to identify myself as a reporter unless somebody asked to prevent any hostility.
There is a strong sense of camaraderie in these crowds. After all, everyone has one thing in common: their love for Trump.
One woman boasted that she had taken a red-eye from San Francisco to attend this rally. Once a group of people heard this, they cheered for the Californian and demanded a press photographer, who was passing by, take a photo of her as a reward.
In the three hours we waited to get into MSG, I watched a group of young men go from strangers to friends. They bonded over their love for conservative Instagram meme pages.
“Communist-ala Harris,” was one of the more popular jokes.
In this group, the more outrageous a person’s outfit is, the louder they scream for Trump, the more vulgar language used to describe Democrats – the more welcome you are.
That may be why there is an eerie undertone standing with this crowd. It’s the unpredictable energy that can go from singing “God Bless the U.S.A.” to violently storming the U.S. Capitol in a matter of hours.
After roughly three and a half hours, the police began moving us toward the MSG entrance. Energized MAGA lovers started shouting “U.S.A.”, “Fight, fight, fight” and “Trump!” as they squeezed past whoever they could to get to the front of the crowd.
Everyone seemed to ignore the piles of trash, blankets and lawn chairs that people who camped out overnight just left for others to clean up.
We were forced to wait for another 30 minutes outside the front of MSG as ushers, volunteers and law enforcement officials tried to create an organized line for security. Their plan involved creating three different corrals of people and slowly allowing them through security.
One man turned to me to tell me his experience attending a Trump rally in Pennsylvania in 2016 that he described as “being surrounded by the smartest people in the world.”
Finally, after waiting for hours in chilly weather with a group of the most energetic people I’ve ever met, we got to security – who then abruptly kicked me out for having a camera with me (something that was not on Trump campaign’s “do not bring” list).
So I made the most of my time and went back onto 33rd Street to talk to the supporters who were hopeful to make it inside. I walked along the barricades holding Trump supporters on 32nd Street but as soon as a group saw my New York press pass they began booing me.
One man waved me down but just wanted to know his chances of getting inside.
As I walked back down Fifth Avenue ,swarms of Trump supporters, who were too late to make it inside, took to the streets to show their support. Red hats bobbed and weaved through the crowd and more Trump merch street vendors circulated.
I watched what seemed like average New Yorkers (judging from their walking pace) swivel their heads around, giving side-eye to the mass of Trump supporters.
Finally, a normal scene – New Yorkers annoyed with tourists.