As many as 100,000 people flooded the Jersey Shore to attend former President Donald Trump’s rally in deep blue New Jersey on Saturday, according to official estimates.
A spokeswoman for the city of Wildwood, New Jersey, which hosted the Trump rally, told The Associated Press that based on viewing the crowd and comparing it to “dozens” of other events in the same space, she believes there were between 80,000 to 100,000 people in attendance to see the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. New Jersey Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew called the rally the biggest political gathering in state history.
“There’s so many people here,” Trump said after taking the stage. “Man, over 100,000 people!”
“You can’t even see the end. I wish we didn’t have the press here … because they can’t see in the back,” the former president added. “You know, I always tell the press, ‘Turn your cameras around to show the audience.’ They never do it. Look, fake news.”
Wildwood is in New Jersey’s 2nd District, which Trump won in 2016 and 2020 after Barack Obama previously carried the district. No Republican candidate has won the state of New Jersey since George H.W. Bush took it in 1988, and in the past four presidential elections, the Democratic candidate has won the state by double-digit margins. But Trump said that will change in 2024.
“As you can see today, we’re expanding the electoral map because … we’re going to win the state of New Jersey,” Trump said. “I think we’re going to win them all. All across America, millions of people, so-called blue states, are joining our movement based on love, intelligence, and a thing called common sense.”
JUST IN: Trump crowd reaches up to 100,000 people, breaking historic records in deep blue New Jersey pic.twitter.com/fVMKLCHedA
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) May 11, 2024
Later during the Trump rally, the former president was joined on stage by former NFL greats Lawrence Taylor and Ottis Anderson.
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“I grew up a Democrat, and I’ve always been a Democrat until I met this man right here,” Taylor said, pointing back to Trump. “He will not have to worry about nobody in my family ever voting for a Democrat again.”
President Trump invites football greats Lawrence Taylor and Ottis Anderson onstage in Wildwood, NJ pic.twitter.com/Z4ihpRBH5B
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) May 11, 2024
North Dakota Republican Governor Doug Burgum, who is a contender to be Trump’s running mate, also joined Trump at the rally. During his speech, Trump touted Burgum’s expertise in technology and called him “incredible,” adding, “Just get ready for something, just get ready.”
The former president quickly ripped into President Joe Biden during his speech, calling him a “fool” and saying, “I talk about him differently now because now the gloves are off.”