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Melania Trump makes shock appearance at her husband’s Madison Square Garden rally

The former first lady launched into a bleak diatribe about New York that the facts do not support

Justin Rohrlich
Sunday 27 October 2024 19:31
Melania Trump painted a false picture of New York as a wasteland where dreams go to die as she spoke during a rally at Madison Square Garden
Melania Trump painted a false picture of New York as a wasteland where dreams go to die as she spoke during a rally at Madison Square Garden (AFP via Getty Images)

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Melania Trump took the stage at her husband’s New York City rally to “Paradise City” by Guns n’ Roses, then launched into a bleak, but misguided, diatribe about how bad things are in the Big Apple — and the rest of the country.

GnR frontman Axl Rose has spoken out against Donald Trump’s use of the band’s songs, without permission, at his public appearances.

“Hello Madison Square Garden!” the former first lady began, calling the metropolis “the world's undisputed capital of industry, where titans of finance, fashion, and entertainment convene.” New York is an “unforgiving” city, Melania went on, apparently empathizing with the audience about how “our lives are complicated, even during the best of times.”

“And sadly, today, a declining quality of life, coupled with economic instability, makes it difficult for businesses and American ingenuity to blossom among determined citizens who race across city streets, and between offices, striving for success.”

Melania Trump pushed a bleak version of New York City that is not backed up by the numbers
Melania Trump pushed a bleak version of New York City that is not backed up by the numbers (AP)

Crime is rising, not just in New York but coast to coast, she declared.

However, NYPD data released in July showed crime down over the previous six months. And figures released in August by Gov. Kathy Hochul showed a statewide dip in crime, and singled out Nassau County, the Long Island suburb nearest to the city, as the safest county in the entire nation.

Nationwide, violent crime is down some 15 percent, according to the FBI.

The speech capped off a long afternoon of speakers, including Dr. Phil, Elon Musk, and a wild-eyed NYC sanitation worker named David Rem, all of whom painted the United States, counterfactually, as a nation in decline.

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