Trump to hold campaign rally at NYC's Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump is taking his campaign to Madison Square Garden.

Trump will hold a rally at the Garden on Sunday, Oct. 27, which is the final week before Election Day.

It will be the former president's second rally in New York City since May, when he went to the South Bronx . He also held a rally at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island in September , where he vowed to win the state, even though it is overwhelmingly Democratic and he has lost the state in the last two elections by more than 20 percentage points.

"We have some very big ones coming. We just rented Madison Square Garden. We're going to make a play for New York," Trump said at a rally Wednesday afternoon in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

His appearance is already receiving pushback. Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal raised safety concerns and called for it to be canceled.

Gov. Kathy Hochul was asked about the event at a news conference Wednesday and said the former president has a right to rally, adding that she's confident the New York City Police Department and state police will be able to handle the event.

Trump on the campaign trail

In between stops to critical battleground states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Trump will be traveling this week to states that aren't seen as competitive.

On Friday, he will visit Aurora, Colorado, a town that has become a flashpoint in the debate over the influx of migrants who have entered the country in recent years. Democrat Joe Biden won Colorado in 2020 with 55% of the vote.

On Saturday, he will hold a rally in Coachella, California, the site of a major annual outdoor music festival. Trump lost California in the last two elections by about 30 percentage points.