Recent polls indicate that former President Donald Trump is making significant strides in narrowing the gap with President Joe Biden in the traditionally Democratic stronghold of New York.
A Siena College poll conducted from May 13-15, which surveyed 1,191 registered voters, revealed that Biden's lead over Trump in the state has been reduced to a mere nine points, with Biden at 47 percent and Trump at 38 percent. This is a stark contrast to the 2020 election, where Biden secured the state by a 23-point margin.
The poll further revealed a significant shift in voter sentiment in New York City, with Biden's support dropping by 20 points and Trump's increasing by seven points compared to the 2020 election results. Trump's projected share of the vote in the state has seen a marginal increase since the last two Siena College polls conducted in April and February.
In a strategic move to court Black and Hispanic voters, Trump held a rally in the Bronx, one of New York City's boroughs, on Thursday. The rally drew an unexpectedly large crowd, with Trump's campaign estimating that about 25,000 people attended the event at Crotona Park, far exceeding the initially expected 3,500 attendees, as reported by Fox News.
CNN also reported on the surprising turnout, with one of their reporters on the scene stating, "It was certainly a bigger crowd than I think Democrats would like to see, particularly given this is one of the bluest counties in the entire country."
Several Bronx residents expressed their appreciation for Trump's visit to their part of the borough. One rally-goer, captured in a video that circulated on X, said, "I think it's great. I think it's dope. For my generation, from what I know, this is the first time a president has actually come to the hood." He added that while other presidents had visited other parts of the Bronx, this was the first time one had ventured into the "hood hood."
Khalik Carlin, another attendee, told Politico, "Biden didn't come to the Bronx. Trump is here."
Trump, a New York native, expressed his belief to the Bronx rally-goers that he could win the state. "I believe that we can win New York State," Trump said. "Don't assume, it doesn't matter just because you live in a blue city. You live in a blue city, but it's going red very, very quickly."
Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres, who represents part of the Bronx, dismissed Trump's optimism, telling reporters that Trump has "delusions of grandeur" if he thinks "he's remotely competitive in the Bronx." Torres added, "Donald Trump is not going to win the Bronx. He's less popular than the Mets and the Boston Red Sox," as reported by Politico.
However, Bronx Republican Party Chair Mike Rendino viewed Trump's visit as "largely symbolic" and "a good punch to the Democrats." He added that Trump is not afraid to get "right to the belly of the beast," as reported by Politico. Rendino acknowledged, "You're not going to win the Bronx," but suggested that reducing the loss margin could lead to winning New York state.
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