Trump announces rally at Madison Square Garden, the 'World's Most Famous Arena'

Madison Square Garden, known as “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” in New York City will be the venue for a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump during the final stretch of his reelection campaign.

A campaign official told NBC New York on Wednesday that the "arena tour" will take place on Oct. 27, nine days before Election Day on Nov. 5.

The event is expected to be first come, first served, and campaign officials expect sizable numbers, given that MSG has a capacity for more than 19,500 people.

Known for live sports and entertainment, MSG is home to the NBA's New York Knicks and NHL's New York Rangers, but the venue is also no stranger to politics and controversy, ranging from Democratic and Republication conventions to landmark visits from dignitaries, including two popes and even a Nazi rally in 1939.

The history of Madison Square Garden

Since its inception, Madison Square Garden has had four transformations within New York City.

• The first MSG (1879-1890) was an open-air arena built on the corner of East 26th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan and could seat 10,000 spectators.

• The second MSG, which was in the same location but an enclosed venue, cost more than half a million dollars to build and opened on June 6, 1890.

• The third version, built in 1925, was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets in Manhattan, on the site of the city's trolley-car barns, and remained in use until 1968.

• The fourth and current MSG was built in 1968 atop the original New York Penn Station in midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth Avenues and 31st and 33rd Streets Station.

Major political rallies at the Garden

• 1924 Democratic National Convention, which took 16 days and 103 ballots to nominate a presidential candidate, was held at MSG III.

• 1939 pro-Nazi rally: The German American Bund held a rally with over 20,000 attendees. The rally was billed as a pro-"Americanism" event, but anti-Nazi protesters gathered outside MSG III.

• Democratic National Conventions in 1976, 1980, and 1992 were held at current MSG.

• 2004 Republican National Convention: The first time the Republican party held their convention in New York City.

Controversy

New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, D-Manhattan, denounced the former president's planned rally on social media on Wednesday: “Let’s be clear. Allowing Trump to hold an event at MSG is equivalent to the infamous Nazis rally at Madison Square Garden on February 20, 1939.” He encouraged MSG to cancel the event.

The Trump campaign swiftly condemned Hoylman-Sigal's comments, according to the New York Post, saying, “This is the same type of dangerous rhetoric that led to two assassination attempts on President Trump’s life and has divided our country,” said the campaign's national press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Melissa Cruz is an elections reporting fellow who focuses on voter access issues for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, at @MelissaWrites22.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Madison Square Garden: host to Trump and other political events