Die-hard MAGA fans were seen gathering outside just before dawn ahead of Donald Trump’s big rally at Madison Square Garden.
For the sold-out event, approximately 20,000 MAGA fans will attend just nine days before what could be the closest presidential election in history, as Trump and Kamala Harris are virtually tied in every poll.
Devoted Republicans were seen sporting red baseball caps reading ‘Make America Great Again’ as they lined the corner of 33rd and 6th Avenue of America early Sunday morning in predominantly liberal New York City.
An array of Trump merchandise, including T-shirts, jackets, large billboards and a trailer full of flags, bearing the faces and names of Republican candidates, surrounded the venue as the streets lit up red, white and blue.
A heavy police presence also gathered as groups of NYPD officers were seen outside MSG accompanied by large police vehicles and several patrol cars.
One image showed a massive queue of supporters outside the stadium 12 hours before the event.
Dozens of Trump supporters lined the streets of midtown Manhattan ahead of Trump’s rally.
Devoted Republicans are seen lining up outside early Sunday morning before Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden.
Trump supporters pose for a photo in their red MAGA baseball caps outside the arena.
While New York is a solidly blue state, the Big Apple remains Trump’s original hometown and where the billionaire started his business empire several decades ago.
Although many are excited to see the 45th president in the iconic stadium, Democrats have criticized the choice of venue as they try to paint him as a “dictator” in the days leading up to the election.
Just this week, Hillary Clinton made an extraordinary claim that Trump had chosen to host the massive rally at Madison Square Garden to “reenact” a Nazi event that took place there 85 years ago.
The former Secretary of State said Trump is seeking to “recreate” the Nazi rally that took place in the Big Apple just over six months before the start of World War II.
“You know, another thing you’ll see next week is Trump recreating the Madison Square Garden rally in 1939,” Clinton said in an interview with CNN Thursday night.
He continued: ‘Neo-Nazis and fascists in America were lining up to basically pledge their support for the kind of government they were seeing in Germany. So I don’t think we can ignore it.”
A man is seen circling a cart filled to the brim with Trump merchandise outside MSG.
Red, white and blue lights illuminated the streets outside MSG as NYPD officers and vehicles arrived.
While New York is a solidly blue state, the Big Apple remains Trump’s original hometown and where the billionaire started his business empire several decades ago. (pictured: a MAGA supporter waiting in line)
A heavy police presence also took over the event and several NYPD officers lined the streets.
People are seen outside the arena dressed in patriotic colors, along with an inflatable Trump figure.
It comes on the heels of Harris calling Trump a “fascist” after his former chief of staff, John Kelly, accused him of being a fan of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who will attend the MSG rally, told DailyMail.com that Clinton’s comments are “disgusting” and “pathetic.”
“It just shows why people rejected Hillary Clinton (in 2016),” he continued. ‘I want to say that hateful, negative and divisive rhetoric is a thing of the past.
‘People are fed up with this and this needs to end. And it should be rejected by everyone, you know, both Republicans and Democrats.”
Typically, in the final run-up to elections, the leading candidates spend all their time in critical battleground states, of which New York is not one.
Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are the seven swing states essential for a victory next month.
But Trump has courted the votes of New Yorkers this election cycle even though the state has voted Democratic in every presidential election cycle since 1988.
This is not the first time Trump has visited New York during his election, as he held several events in the state, including last month at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, where he told supporters, “We’re going to win New York.”
“New York is the media capital of the world,” Trump campaign senior adviser Tim Murtaugh told DailyMail.com in describing the former president’s choice of location for his final rally.
He added: “There will be more television cameras at this rally, probably than at any rally to date, and it will be broadcast directly to all the disputed states.”
More Trump fans line up outside the arena, sporting iconic MAGA hats.
New York police officers prepare for the big demonstration on Sunday morning.
Die-hard MAGA fans are seen camping outside the stadium early Sunday morning.
Madison Square Garden is a historic site that still hosts massive concerts and events today.
Both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions have been held at The Garden since the 19th century. MSG hosted the 1976, 1980 and 1992 Democratic National Conventions and the 2004 Republican National Convention.
In addition to the arena’s tradition, it was also the site of John F. Kennedy’s famous birthday party in 1962, when Marilyn Monroe took the stage to sing Happy Birthday to the then-president.
A host of guests and speakers are expected to grace the stage or appear around MSG Stadium on Sunday.
This includes members of the Republican congressional leadership such as Scalise, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik.
The mass rally comes just days after the presidential candidate joined comedian Joe Rogan on his podcast.
The 57-year-old comedian revealed he finally had Trump on his show after the Republican was shot earlier this year.
During the wide-ranging interview, Rogan referenced Trump’s interview with fellow comedian Theo Von in August of this year.
Trump asked, “Is that why you called me to do this?”, to which Rogan responded, “No. Once you got shot, I thought, ‘He’s got to get in here.'”
Showing the wound he received when gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on him in July this year, Trump said: “He shot himself right there.”
Tons of merchandise was on display as people lined up for the event 12 hours in advance.
A trailer covered in Trump flags is seen just outside the arena.
Rogan responds, “He healed up pretty well,” to which Trump said he wasn’t like the UFC fighters to whom Rogan also offers colorful commentary.
Trump told Rogan that the attempt on his life and the scars had made him a “tougher guy.”
During their three-hour conversation, which racked up 300,000 conversations in the first 30 minutes, Trump told Rogan that he is serious about eliminating the federal income tax if he wins the race for the White House.
Rogan asked the Republican candidate: ‘Did you just raise the idea of getting rid of income taxes and replacing them with tariffs? Are we serious about that?’
He replied: ‘Why not, our country was the richest in the 1880s and 1890s, a president who was assassinated named (William) McKinley was the tariff king. He spoke very well about tariffs, his language was really beautiful.
‘We will not allow the enemy to come in and take away our jobs, our factories, our workers and our families unless they pay a high price. The big price is the tariffs.”
