Melania Trump and a cast of stars joined Donald for a massive election rally at Madison Square Garden with just a week to go until the US Presidential election.
The former first lady made what was one of her first appearances on the campaign trail with an unexpected speech at her husband’s mega rally in New York, just weeks after she released her bombshell tell-all memoir where she revealed she defends abortion rights.
She was introduced on stage by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and came out to a roaring standing ovation as she defiantly told the crowds ‘New York City and America needs their magic back’.
Melania, wearing a black-and-white animal print jacket, only spoke for five minutes, but her speech was focused more on a vision for the country and less about politics, while her husband said it would be an ‘honor’ to win New York and warned that voting for Kamala Harris is a ‘gamble’ that could ‘cost millions of lives’ and lead to ‘World War Three’.
‘Envision a wonderful America where the seeds of security, prosperity and health are sown once again for benefit of our families,’ Melania said.
She then introduced the former president. She gave him a big smile as he took the stage to his signature song ‘God Bless America.’
Melania Trump stunned the crowd at Madison Square Garden when she made a surprise appearance
The couple paused, holding their arms out to one another, when they first saw each other on the stage. They then hugged and exchanged kisses on the cheek.
It was a rare and stunning move from the former first lady, who has been clear about her disdain of politics. She went to the Republican National Convention but didn’t speak. She did not attend either presidential debate.
Her appearance comes as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are running at a dead heat in the polls. And it happened in New York, a city she professes to love.
She lives in Trump Tower in the city with the couple’s son Barron, who attends New York University. New York was her home when she came to America as a model.
The former first lady has been touting her memoir, ‘Melania,’ and a new jewelry line.
This was also her first time speaking about her husband’s candidacy for president.
‘Let us charge together with a shared vision that builds on American greatness. Let’s size this moment and create a country for tomorrow, the future that we deserve,’ she said.
Her only mention of her husband’s presidential campaign came at the end: ‘Please welcome our next commander in chief, my husband, President Donald J Trump.’
Melania Trump did not mention Kamala Harris, her husband’s rival for the White House. Harris spent Sunday making multiple stops in Philadelphia in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Donald Trump arranged the rally at the biggest, most well-known venue in his hometown of New York. The 20,000 Madison Square Garden was packed to the gills.
The former president made a bold prediction that he would become the first Republican in 40 years to win New York while warning that a ‘gamble’ on Kamala Harris would cost ‘millions of lives’ during the event in the heart of Manhattan.
Other speakers included well-known conservatives like his running mate J.D. Vance, Dr. Phil McGraw and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Dr. Phil surprised the crowd by speaking at the rally and introducing Vance.
The celebrity doctor admitted: ‘I don’t like or agree with everything Trump says or does… you don’t have to love everything about someone in order to love them.’
Melania Trump introduced husband Donald Trump in front of a packed house at Madison Square Garden
The former president gestures to roaring MAGA fans as he takes the stage with his wife
Elon Musk introduced Melania
‘We love you,’ the crowd told Melania Trump
‘And the last thing he needs is some celebrity endorsement. What the hell do I know? I know I’m no celebrity to begin with. And celebrities know nothing about policy or politics,’ Dr. Phil said. ‘So, why am I here? I’m here to talk to and stand up for the people who have declared their support for Donald Trump.’
Some of the speakers hurled crude and racist insults toward Harris.
Trump´s childhood friend David Rem referred to Harris as ‘the Antichrist’ and ‘the devil.’ Businessman Grant Cardone told the crowd that Harris ‘and her pimp handlers will destroy our country.’
‘She is the devil … She is the anti-Christ. At her rally last week, she said that Jesus Christ’s followers are not welcomed at her rallies,’ Rem said.
After hours of anticipation, the crowd roared as Trump was brought on stage by his wife calling him the ‘next commander-in-chief’.
New York has not voted for a Republican for president in 40 years. But Donald Trump has insisted he can win the state.
Trump also doesn’t think he is wasting his time or campaign funds by rallying in liberal New York City with just nine days until the 2024 election.
He said the deep blue state is winnable, despite voters opting for Democrats in every presidential race since 1988.
From the stage at the iconic Manhattan arena, former President Trump vowed to return New York City to its former glory.
‘We want to win our country, but we also want to win New York and make it safe and strong and beautiful and affordable and vibrant again,’ Trump said.
‘When I left, New York was the place you wanted to be and now people just don’t speak well of it. But we’re going to bring it back. And we’re going to bring it back strong,’ he assured.
Trump made his final pitch to New Yorkers to cast their ballot for him as early voting kicked off in the Empire State on Saturday.
Sunday’s massive rally with more than 20,000 supporters in attendance kicked off the ex-president’s closing argument: Kamala Harris broke it, but Trump will fix it.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump greet one another on stage
Elon Musk and Melania Trump listen to Donald Trump’s remarks
‘I hope you go out and vote,’ Trump said toward the end of his more than hour-long remarks.
‘It would be such an honor to win New York,’ he continued. ‘Hasn’t been done in decades, hasn’t been done in so long. It hasn’t been done in so long.’
‘They all say, ‘sir you’re wasting your money.’ I don’t think so,’ the optimistic candidate said.
Donald Trump ALSO congratulated Melania on having a number one bestseller in her memoir.
‘I was nervous when I read it. I wondered if it had some stuff about me,’ he admitted.
Melania explosively revealed in her forthcoming memoir that she supports a woman’s right to choose when it comes to abortion.
The former first lady shockingly wrote that she’s ‘carried this belief’ for her ‘entire adult life’.
‘It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the government,’ the former first lady said.
‘Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes,’ she continued.
‘Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body,’ she says. ‘I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.’
In her memoir, Melania writes that ‘occasional political disagreements between me and my husband’ are ‘part of our relationship’, adding that she believes in ‘addressing them privately rather than publicly challenging him.’
Former First Lady Melania Trump stirred controversy when she wore a jacket with the message ‘I really don’t care. Do u?’ when she went to visit migrant children at the U.S-Mexico border in June 2018. She is now claiming the message was targeting the media
Later in the book, she claims she forced her husband Donald to drop his hardline immigration policy of separating children from their parents at the border under the administration’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy.
But when on a surprise visit to survey a migrant detention center in June 2018, she caused a frenzy when she wore a jacket with the message ‘I really don’t care. Do U?’
Melania called the message ‘discreet yet impactful’ and claimed it was meant to protest against ‘anonymously sourced reporting.’
‘I was determined… not to let the media’s false narratives affect my mission to help the children and families at the border,’ she writes.
‘In fact, I decided to let them know that their criticism would never stop me from doing what I feel is right. To make the point, I wore a particular jacket as I boarded the plane, a jacket that quickly became famous,’ she added.
The former president complimented his wife during his speech at Madison Square Garden. Her memoir ‘Melania’ hit Number One on the New York Times best seller list.
As for Melania, the crowd of MAGA faithful was just thrilled to see her.
‘We love you,’ a fan yelled to her.
‘I love you too,’ Melania replied.