By Margaret Sykes
Thousands of supporters of former president Donald Trump gathered outside Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale on Wednesday for his first, and perhaps only, New York appearance this election cycle, wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats and waving Trump flags. The waiting line to enter the 7 p.m. rally inside the coliseum wrapped around the building that afternoon.
Vendors with carts sold MAGA hats, visors, shirts, pins, stickers, flags and bobbleheads of the former president. There were rallygoers who dressed as the former president, with his signature blonde hair, blue blazer, white shirt and red tie. And then there were the cars. Many had a few Trump bumper stickers, while others were decked out with flags, photos and full-body decals of the former president.
Outside the rally, dozens of protesters gathered in a “free speech zone” to decry Trump’s presence on Long Island and express their disapproval for his inflammatory statements aimed at Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, Ohio.
Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, have referred to the thousands of Haitian immigrants who have settled there as illegal, even though they came to the United States under the Temporary Protected Status program, which allows immigrants fleeing violence in countries like Haiti to live and work in the U.S.
Trump and Vance have baselessly claimed Haitian immigrants are eating dogs and cats in Springfield. That social media rumor has been debunked by Ohio officials, including Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, and numerous major news outlets.
As the protesters peacefully gathered within the “free speech zone,” a number of Trump rally attendees shouted harassing remarks at them. Nassau County police were stationed only feet from the zone and instructed them to move along. One rally goer was escorted away from the area by authorities.
Meanwhile, the protesters chanted, “We’re not going back” and “When we vote, we win.”
Scott Brinton contributed to this story.
