By james art
NEW YORK – Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Madison Square Garden this weekend, just nine days before Election Day, drawing comparisons to some of the venue’s most infamous events.
Since 1800, The Garden has been the site of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Notably, in 1939 it was the site of back-to-back rallies for pro-Nazi and pro-Communist party supporters as tensions rose ahead of World War II. In 1962, Marilyn Monroe famously performed “Happy Birthday” for President John F. Kennedy, further adding to the legendary status of what a New York Knicks spokesman called “the most famous arena in the world!”
Hillary Clinton called the rally an attempt to “re-enact” a Nazi gathering, to which the Trump campaign hit back, calling her remarks “disgusting.”
It’s unclear what Trump’s rally will look like or what the theme will be, but here are some key moments from Madison Square Garden’s political history.
SKIP TO: A pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC Conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
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On February 20, 1939, a “Pro-American Rally” was held at Madison Square Garden to celebrate George Washington’s birthday.
People could be seen wearing Nazi armbands, waving American flags and displaying signs with slogans such as “Stop Jewish Domination in Christian America,” as seen in photos and detailed in an NPR report, “When the Nazis Took Manhattan.”
The event was one of many organized by American Nazi groups from 1934 to 1936 at the Garden. However, it was the largest ever, drawing nearly 20,000 visitors months after Kristallnacht, according to a report by The Atlantic.
At the time, New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and Governor Herbert Lehman were criticized for allowing the rally during the Great Depression.
SKIP TO: A pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC Conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
(Original Caption) New York, New York: Stunned like everyone else by the freak accident, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia is shown talking to a reporter at the scene where an Army B-25 bomber crashed into the 76th floor of the Empire State Building i
La Guardia defended the principle of freedom of speech, arguing that all groups, including Nazis, had the right to express their views. He often condemned the Nazi program, earning him the title “the Nazis’ greatest enemy”.
The anti-Nazi sentiments of 15,000 New Yorkers were expressed in a torchlight parade down 8th Avenue, capped by several hours of oratory at Madison Square Garden. The parade was a protest against American participation in the Berlin Olympics.
The rally featured anti-Semitic speeches and included the Pledge of Allegiance, which was met with enthusiastic applause.
The rally was later featured in the Academy Award-nominated short film Night in the Garden.
George Wallace (C) speaks on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City on July 13, 1976. (Photo by Pierre Schermann/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)
The current Garden, opened in 1968 about a mile south of the original, hosts the NBA’s Knicks, the NHL’s Rangers and various events. During his 1968 presidential campaign, George Wallace, representing the American Independent Party, gave a “Stand Up for America” speech that echoed the populist nationalism seen in Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement (AP).
SKIP TO: A pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC Conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
Tom Bradley (left) and Hubert Humphrey (right) appear on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City on July 13, 1976. (Photo by Pierre Schermann/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)
This garden hosted the 1976, 1980 and 1992 Democratic National Conventions and the 2004 Republican National Convention.
In accepting his nomination, Jimmy Carter referred to the Vietnam War and Watergate, saying, “Our country has lived through a time of anguish. . . . Now is a time for healing.”
The 2004 Republican Convention was the only one held at Madison Square Garden that took place while New York City was still reeling from the attacks on the World Trade Center (AP).
On May 19, 1962, the Democratic Party held a fundraiser and garden party for John F. Kennedy’s birthday, where Marilyn Monroe sang “Happy Birthday.” “Heat waves were still rising in the garden when, after a sultry rendition of Marilyn Monroe’s ‘Happy Birthday,’ the president remarked, ‘Now I can retire from politics,'” the AP reported.
Kennedy joked that he might retire from politics just months before he and Monroe died tragically (AP).
What will Trump be like at MSG?
New York City police have not provided a specific security plan for Trump’s rally, nor has the city announced road closures for high-profile guests.
But New Yorkers should expect heightened security and a lot of noise in the area, with protests likely, as seen at previous rallies.
SKIP TO: A pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC Conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
During the 1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, the New York Police Department deployed 1,700 officers—enough, according to the New York City Department of Archives and Information Services, “to stop the revolution.”
Downtown streets were packed with protesters, accompanied by a nearby Broadway orchestra playing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” A crusader also broadcast anti-Nazi messages from a barracks, urging people to “Be American, Stay Home.”
Similarly, Richard Nixon’s 1968 rally took place amid heightened security and intense social upheaval. During this tumultuous election year, Robert Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated, protests broke out at the Democratic and Republican conventions, and the Vietnam War continued.
SKIP TO: A pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC Conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
American politician and current (and ultimately successful) candidate for President of the United States Richard Nixon (1913 – 1994) addresses supporters during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, October 31, 1968 ( Photo: David Fenton
The NYPD’s Bureau of Special Services and Investigations conducted undercover surveillance, with plainclothes officers blending into the crowd as Nixon took the stage.
President Richard Nixon held a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on October 31, 1968, just one week before winning the presidential election.
Like most rallies today, the event included performances to entertain the crowd before politicians took the stage to champion it.
His main topics of conversation include “law and order” and “peace at home, peace abroad.” Outside the venue, lines of protesters confronted Nixon, accusing him of being pro-war.
SKIP TO: A pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC Conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
When is Trump at Madison Square Garden?
Doors open at 12pm for the event on Sunday 27th October
The rally will begin at 5 p.m. The city has not announced specific road closures, but New Yorkers should expect increased security and tons of noise in the area.