The Donald, Melania, Elon and Hulk show wows Madison Square Garden rally

Donald Trump strode across the stage at Madison Square Garden, head high, shoulders back. He planted two kisses on Melania’s cheeks, she took his hand, he was home.
One of the most iconic venues in the world had been transformed into a sea of MAGA hats and Trump-Vance signs as the Republican candidate returned to New York City.
Midtown was brought to a standstill shutdown as throngs of supporters descended on New York City in the hope of seeing the former president take to the stage for his most controversial rally yet.
As he took to the stage at the historic venue, Trump immediately thanked New York – the “special place” where he was born, and made his business empire.
During his speech, which ran for more than an hour, Trump promoted his tax policies and attacked the Democrats for the border crisis.
The former president, 78, raised eyebrows as he hinted at his “little secret” was helping the Republicans in the House of Representatives, which is currently controlled by the Republicans.
The former president told the crowd: “I think with our little secret we’re going to do really well with the House, right?
“Our little secret is having a big impact … we’ll tell you what it is when the race is over.”
As Trump vowed to end “the migrant invasion of our country” on his first day of office, the crowd erupted into rapturous applause.
The cheers again rang out when he called for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American.
Among Sunday’s speakers was Elon Musk who, while managing to refrain from bunny hopping on stage in head to toe black, let out a scream before telling the crowd: “I’m not just MAGA; I’m Dark Gothic MAGA.”
The billionaire Tesla CEO introduced Melania Trump, whose surprise appearance on the campaign trail followed a handful of public appearances since her husband launched his re-election bid.
Before introducing her husband, Mrs Trump told the crowd: “For generations, this town has produced America’s most fearless leaders whose mark changed the course of the world. New York City and America needs their magic back.”
But the former president’s bold return to the city was marred by controversial comments made by the first guest speaker to take to the stage.
Earlier on in the night, Tony Hinchcliffe, a stand-up comedian, described Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage” in the rally’s opening remarks.
His comments were seized upon by the Kamala Harris campaign and criticised by singers including Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny, who has 45 million Instagram followers.
It came after Hillary Clinton had said Trump was “re-enacting” a Nazi rally which was held at the venue in 1939.
Throughout the six-hour event, several speakers attacked the former Democratic presidential candidate for her comments.
“Hey guys, they’re now scrambling and trying to call us Nazis and fascists,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump’s lawyers, who draped a sparkly “MAGA” jacket over the podium as she spoke.
Hulk Hogan stormed on stage in a fluorescent feather boa, ripped his shirt off and told the crowd: “I don’t see any stinkin’ Nazis here.”
While Trump, 78, has little hope of turning New York blue on Nov 5, his appearance in the city will have guaranteed national coverage and could have helped a handful of competitive congressional races.
The rally included speeches from a long list of Trump allies including Fox News host Tucker Carlson, former candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard.
Trump has insisted he could win the state, and on Sunday his daughter-in-law Lara Trump has suggested he repeat Ronald Reagan’s 1984 success.
“Anybody hear about a little rally up the street in the Bronx?” Mrs Trump said, prompting a round of applause.
She added: “Does anybody know the last time a Republican president campaigned in the Bronx?
“It was Ronald Reagan, and ladies and gentlemen, he turned New York red.”
Trump supporters had queued up from as early as 10am on Saturday to secure a seat at Madison Square Garden.
During his speech, Trump thanked New York City Mayor Eric Adams for saying he didn’t believe the former president should be called a fascist.
The former president said Mr Adams had been “treated pretty badly”, referring to his indictment on five federal charges.
“He’s going through a hard time with these people, these are lunatics by the way, they’ve weaponised the Justice Department against their political opponent,” Trump added.
After finishing his remarks, Trump walked out to a live rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York”.
Donald Trump has left the stage. Thanks everyone who tuned in tonight
Trump suggested he had a trick up his sleeve in the House Representatives, which is currently controlled by the Republicans. 
The GOP took the House by a small margin following the 2022 midterm elections.
He told the crowd: “I think with our little secret we’re going to do really well with the House, right?
“Our little secret is having a big impact. He and I have a secret.
“We’ll tell you what it is when the race is over.”
Crowds continue to make their presence felt outside Madison Square Garden with Trump’s supporters cheering on his speech.
Donald Trump praised his wife for her new memoir topping the New York Times bestseller list. 
“It’s the bestselling book in the whole universe!” he said. 
Trump admitted he was anxious upon the book’s release.
He said: “I was nervous when I read it. I thought ‘I wonder if she wrote some bad stuff about me’. 
“But if she’s number one and her name is Trump on the New York Times list, you know she’s number one.”
Tesla owner Musk and Melania Trump look on as Trump delivers his set-piece speech.
Thousands of supporters clap as Trump says “the migrant invasion of our country” will end on his first day of office.
As he claimed Venezuelan gangs had “taken over Times Square”, someone sitting behind me in the New York arena said: “no, really?”
Trump kissed Melania and held her hand as he joined her on stage at Madison Square Garden.
The Republican candidate walked on stage to his usual choice of Proud to be an American.
The entire crowd leapt to their feet, cheering and attempting to catch the moment on their smartphones.
Melania Trump has made a surprise appearance at her husband’s Madison Square Garden rally.
The former First Lady, who has been largely absent from Trump’s campaign trail, walked out in stage in a floor-length zebra print dress. 
“We love you Melania”, the crowd shouts from the stands. Mrs Trump pauses her speech to reply: “I love you too.”
There were no bunny hops from Elon Musk when he took to the stage at Madison Square Garden. 
The world’s richest man walked on stage and removed and put on his hat several times to the crowd.
“America’s going to reach heights that it’s never seen before,” he told the crowd, which then began chanting “Elon, Elon, Elon”.
The Tesla founder held out his arms and was  clearly lapping up the adoration. 
“This is a battle”, he added, before urging the audience to vote early. 
Lara Trump has suggested Donald Trump could win New York like Ronald Reagan did in 1984 saying on stage Trump “likes to go places nowhere expects him”. 
She added: “Anybody hear about a little rally up the street in the Bronx?”, prompting a round of applause. 
She continued: “Does anybody know the last time a Republican president campaigned in the Bronx?
“It was Ronald Reagan, and ladies and gentlemen, he turned New York red.”
Eric Trump has claimed almost 200,000 people tried to get into the Madison Square Garden rally tonight. 
The arena has the capacity for around 20,000.
He said the outpouring of support at “the greatest arena anywhere in the world” was a sign of “how much love there is” for his father in New York. 
After walking on stage with his wife Lara Trump to The Final Countdown, he told the crowd: “This isn’t politics, this is a family.”
He added that they will “continue to fight”.
JD Vance has again questioned Kamala Harris’s claim she used to work for McDonald’s. 
“I’m not sure that she ever worked at McDonald’s”, he told the crowd.
Referring to Trump’s campaign appearance in which he worked a shift at the fast food chain, Mr Vance said: “In fact I think our president Donald J Trump has probably worked at McDonald’s longer than Kamala Harris has.”
JD Vance says Donald Trump is greater than the “legends” who have previously performed at Madison Square Garden.
Speaking of those who “made history in this arena”, he named Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali and Hulk Hogan. 
He added: “On the eve of the most important election in history, the greatest of them all: Donald J Trump.”
Hulk Hogan has entered the building.
The former wrestler paraded in wearing a fluorescent feather boa and waving an American flag.
“I don’t see no stinking Nazis in here. I don’t see no stinking domestic terrorists in here”, Hogan bellowed at the crowd. 
He said the energy at the stadium, where he has performed before me is “like something I’ve never felt” before, adding: “this is Donald Trump’s house brother”.
There have been so many standing ovations at today’s rally it’s has been like a game of musical chairs. 
Tucker Carlson, the former television host, was the latest recipient of rapturous welcome.
Last election Carlson was one of the leading conservative voices on Fox News, but he left the network shortly after it agreed to pay $787.5million to settle a lawsuit over election misinformation claims.
He tells the crowd Trump has “liberated us in the truest sense” and has “made it possible to tell the truth about the world around us”.
Robert F Kennedy Jr is given a standing ovation as he walks on stage at Madison Square Garden. 
“I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic party left me”, the former presidential candidate says.
Mr Kennedy Jr describes his former party as the “party of war” and one which is “dismantling women’s sports by letting men play women’s sports”.
When he brings up Bill Gates, someone in the crowd shouts: “he’s a sociopath”.
Vivek Ramaswamy suggests Kamala Harris was chosen as the Democrat candidate because she is a woman of colour. 
He said Joe Biden will be the “one man who is going to be more happy than everybody else in this room” if Trump wins the election.
“He’s so p—d off”, he says, adding: “He’s thinking of it, I’m going to say it. 
“Identity politics never works in America. When you select somebody on the basis of their race and their gender, it always ends up being a disaster.”
The crowd jumps to their feet to welcome Vivek Ramaswamy to the stage.
“This does need feel like second-place energy in here tonight”, he tells the crowd.
“2024 New York is a swing state”, he adds, prompting a roar of applause from the crowd. 
The crowd cheer as New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik brings up the car crash committee hearing in which she grilled university presidents about anti-Semitism on campus. 
Three US college bosses quit shortly after the session in which they dodged her questions about whether calling for the genocide of Jews breached university policy. 
Speaking to the crowd, Ms Stefanik accused Kamala Harris of turning “her back on Israel”.
“What did we see?” Ms Stefanik said. “What did we see on our college campuses? We saw a skyrocketing of anti-Semitism.”
Retired firefighters lead the pledge of allegiance
Images of the venue’s iconic moments line the atrium at Madison Square Garden.
Among them is a picture of Tom Jones’s first performance at the venue in 1970, Alicia Keys on the stage in 2008 and an image of Bill Clinton receiving the presidential Democratic National Convention in 1992.
Inside the arena, fans are packed into the stands as they wait for Trump to come on stage — a moment they believe is equally as historic.
As well as being joined by family members including Donald Trump Jr, the presidential nominee will be supported by guest speakers including Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr as well as his vice-presidential candidate JD Vance.
Mr Musk’s high-profile backing for Trump has attracted controversy with Senator Bernie Sanders questioning how much influence the tech mogul would have in a Trump administration. Read more here.
The words “dream big again” are being beamed round the stadium as Trump’s warm-up acts continue to take to the stage.
The iconic New York stadium is a sea of red MAGA hats, with supporters waving signs for Trump/Vance from their seats. 
Today’s speakers have so far included Rudy Giuliani and Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba, who walked on stage holding a sequinned MAGA jacket.
Everyone has had a dig at Hillary Clinton and her comments likening today’s event with a 1939 Nazi rally.
“This rally has rattled some of my favourite swamp creatures”, Ms Habba said, prompting cheers from the crowd. 
Rally attendee Sophie Vaughan, a small business owner, explains why she likes Trump
“They’re just afraid or intimidated”: Investment worker Thomas Maguire, 75, says a lot of New Yorkers are pro-Trump
Donald Trump’s motorcade has been seen setting off down Fifth Avenue as it travels to the rally.
Throngs of people formed vast queues outside the iconic venue for the event with chants of “USA, USA” breaking out intermittently.
Thomas Maguire, 76, travelled downtown from the Bronx for today’s event.
He’s excited to see Elon Musk, who is says is “brave” for putting his business at risk to endorse the president.
He’s not surprised to see such a big crowd in New York, and he thinks many more people would want to come but are too scared to be seen here.
In the Democratic stronghold of New York it is rare to see someone wearing even a “Make America Great Again” hat.
But today thousands of people dressed to their eyeballs in Donald Trump merchandise have descended on midtown Manhattan for the former president’s historic rally at Madison Square Garden.
Stalls lining the streets opposite Macy’s are selling everything from banners reading “I’m a Trump girl, get over it” to T-shirts with the image of the former president pumping his fist in the air after his first attempted assassination attempt.
Donald Trump’s appearance at Madison Square Garden in New York, was compared to a Nazi rally by Hillary Clinton.
As well as being the site of the NBA finals and four Democratic National Conventions, the arena was once used to host a pro-Nazi rally six months before the outbreak of World War II.“One other thing that you’ll see next week… is Trump actually re-enacting the Madison Square Garden rally in 1939. I write about this in my book,” Ms Clinton told CNN on Thursday evening.Read the article here.
Rudy Giuliani, New York City’s former mayor, walked on stage to a rapturous applause from the crowd.
The stands at Madison Square Garden are almost full now.
This is a different sort of rally for Mr Giuliani: some of the people in the arena will have voted for him when he was first elected 30-years-ago. 
“This is the most iconic venues of venues in the United States,” he tells the crowd. 
“This is where Republicans are not meant to come, which is why Donald Trump came here.”
Welcome to today’s live blog as Donald Trump prepares to take the stage at Madison Square Garden in his hometown state of New York