A few things about being inside Trump's MSG rally that people haven't talked about.

Cass Troy

— 8 min read
A few things about being inside Trump's MSG rally that people haven't talked about.
Madison Square Garden full of way younger, more diverse, more local people than the media is telling you.

I tested the limits of my patience, sanity, and very likely respiratory system by going to yesterday's Trump rally at Madison Square Garden.

This is going to sound weird. But the event security, concessions, and general climate control use all classic EST techniques for brainwashing people to authoritarian thought. Confined spaces, absurd rules with no purpose, alternating restricted access to seating, bathrooms, food, water, extremes in temperature, dynamic sound and light, synchronized repetitive chanting, complete disregard for schedule. They could have actually ticketed people and let MSG staff do their normal jobs, left concession stands open, but exhausting people physically and mentally makes the message hit harder.

It took three hours for me to get inside Madison Square Garden from the several block crush of people kettled outside. For a venue that regularly fills and empties on a daily basis without issue. Once in, there was no additional security, just metal detectors, wandings, AND THEY DON'T EVEN CHECK A TICKET OR YOUR ID. Lower than average MSG security slowing down both foot and car traffic to manufacture anticipation. But don't worry, someone was carted off in cuffs at the gate for trying to bring in, "an unsanctioned sign."

But the crowd was way younger, more diverse, and more local to the city than anybody talks about. People in the crowd seemed eager to make friends, and were talking about what happens in 2028, "well obviously, one of the Trump boys runs." People having earnest conversations and making friends about feeling excluded, and worrying about being cancelled. Listening to Dr. Phil assure them that they are the ones being bullied.

You know what all the content was, but it's hard to understate that I had an involuntary panic response the first time the whole stadium started chanting "USA." People were cheering wildly for automatic death penalty for immigrants that kill a citizen. The press has been weirdly quiet that, "Make the WORLD Great Again," was slipped in there a couple times.

But also, they shut down the concessions after the rally started, so you are in line with no bathrooms for three hours, you get in, get a snack, then you are trapped there for another... five? Programming started at three and ended close to nine, even though tickets said Trump was supposed to go on at five. The air conditioning was cranked so all these people in coats are freezing. Every step of the process was optimized to keep you uncomfortable and confused.

I felt completely insane when I walked out of there. I left a little ahead of the crowd because I was hungry and dizzy, and if I got stuck in that crowd again, I would either pass out or get in a fight.

In the last week:

This week:

Also, as a bonus, I'm including a roundup of relevant election news, because there is some deep fuckery going on.

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ACLU [@ACLU]. 2024. “BREAKING: We Just Filed an Emergency Civil Contempt Motion against the Ohio Secretary of State Challenging a New Process That Requires Voters to Bring a Copy of Their Naturalization Papers If They Are Questioned While Voting. This Is an Unnecessary Obstacle to the Ballot.” Tweet. Twitter. https://x.com/ACLU/status/1849466517647159798.

AnonymousMouse (she/her) [@LiteraryMouse]. 2024. “The Far Right Theory of the Moment Is That If Kamala Harris Should Win the Election, the State Legislatures Can Award Their Electors to Trump Even If Voters in That State Chose Harris. Trump Coup Enthusiast Ivan Raiklin Has Also Mentioned Pennsylvania as a Target for This.” Tweet. Twitter. https://x.com/LiteraryMouse/status/1848436237423583271.

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“Arrest Made after Phoenix USPS Collection Mailbox Fire Damages Ballots Overnight.” 2024. ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV). October 24, 2024. https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/ballots-damaged-after-usps-mail-collection-box-fire-near-7th-avenue-and-indian-school-road.

Berry, Allison. 2024. “Burning Ballots Pulled from inside Smoking Vancouver Ballot Box; Hundreds of Ballots Lost.” KATU. October 28, 2024. https://katu.com/news/local/vancouver-ballot-box-seen-smoking-same-morning-as-portland-ballot-box-arson.

“Busted: Rick Scott Is Ramping up His Inflammatory Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric - Alternet.Org.” n.d. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.alternet.org/alternet-exclusives/rick-scott-immigration/.

“Conservative-Backed Group Is Creating a List of Federal Workers It Suspects Could Resist Trump Plans.” 2024. AP News. June 24, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-president-project-2025-33d3fc2999a74f4aa424f1128dca2d16.

“County Clerk Plans To Secretly Record Voters In New Mexico.” n.d. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://ericlevai.substack.com/p/county-clerk-plans-to-secretly-record?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=29cqg&triedRedirect=true.

Devin Burghart [@dburghart]. 2024. “Weeks Ago, I Documented How Posts on Trump’s TruthSocial Specifically Suggested Drop Box Arson in Portland and Other ‘Blue’ Cities. Hundreds of Ballots Possibly Burned after Vancouver Ballot Box Arson: FBI Investigating Https://T.Co/W1Lu3AMzci.” Tweet. Twitter. https://x.com/dburghart/status/1850955296359006315.

Dirtbag Economist [@DirtbagEconomi1]. 2024. “People in Rapid Getting This Shit Sent to Them. People Who Signed Amendment G’s Petition Are Also Getting Disgusting Mail. This Is the America, the South Dakota, That the Republican Party Wants. Https://T.Co/zGmKxT3wCq.” Tweet. Twitter. https://x.com/DirtbagEconomi1/status/1849547599566733411.

“Election Complaint.” n.d. United Sovereign Americans (blog). Accessed October 28, 2024. https://unite4freedom.com/election-complaint/.

“Election Worker Fired after Man Finds Boxes of Unsecured Ballots in Parking Lot: ‘Totally Unacceptable’ | Blaze Media.” n.d. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.theblaze.com/news/election-worker-fired-after-man-finds-boxes-of-unsecured-ballots-in-parking-lot-totally-unacceptable.

“Extremists Inspired by Conspiracy Theories Pose Major Threat to 2024 Elections, U.S. Intelligence Warns.” 2024. NBC News. October 28, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/election-threats-rcna177274.

“‘Fringe’ Sheriffs Movement Listening to God over Law Pledges to Stop ‘Stolen Election’ - Raw Story.” n.d. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.rawstory.com/constitutional-sheriffs-2024-election/.

Frudd, Timothy. 2024. “Bomb Threat Forces GOP Cmte. Headquarters to Evacuate.” American Military News. October 28, 2024. https://americanmilitarynews.com/2024/10/bomb-threat-forces-gop-cmte-headquarters-to-evacuate/.

Gilbert, David. n.d. “‘Take Back the States’: The Far-Right Sheriffs Ready to Disrupt the Election.” Wired. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.wired.com/story/constitutional-sheriffs-disrupt-election/.

“Home - DHS Bureaucrat Watch List.” n.d. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.dhswatchlist.com/.

“Investigate Election Fraud – O’Keefe Media Group.” n.d. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://okeefemediagroup.com/investigate-election-fraud/.

James O’Keefe [@JamesOKeefeIII]. 2024. “SHIPPING HIDDEN CAMS TO POLL WORKERS THIS WEEK: If You’re a Poll Worker, Election Judge, or Election Clerk Who Wants to Record in Your Polling Location, @okeefemedia Will Ship You a Specialized OMG Hidden Camera Early This Week Ahead of the Election. Send Us an Email with Your Https://T.Co/wmMJD3KOiL.” Tweet. Twitter. https://x.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/1850288892936626423.

Jerod MacDonald-Evoy [@JerodMacEvoy]. 2024. “Just in: The Man Who Tempe Police Arrested for Shooting at the DNC Office in Tempe and for Placing Anti-Democrat Signs with White Powder Was Found to Have 120 Guns (Some Loaded), 250,000 Rounds of Ammo, Body Armor and a Grenade Launcher at His House. Story Later Today. Https://T.Co/EIZhsS3xSw.” Tweet. Twitter. https://x.com/JerodMacEvoy/status/1849167402409300152.

“Justice Department Warns Elon Musk That His $1 Million Giveaway to Registered Voters May Be Illegal | CNN Politics.” n.d. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/23/politics/elon-musk-justice-department-letter/index.html?s=09.

Kelley, Lora. 2024. “Elon Musk Is a New Kind of Political Donor.” The Atlantic (blog). October 24, 2024. https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/10/elon-musk-is-a-new-kind-of-political-donor/680364/.

Kyle Griffin [@kylegriffin1]. 2024. “A Philadelphia Man Is Facing Federal Charges for Allegedly Threatening to Skin Alive a State Party Representative Who Was Recruiting Poll Watchers. According to Court Docs, 62-Year Old John Pollard Asked to Observe the Polls. When the Rep Did Not Immediately Respond, Pollard.” Tweet. Twitter. https://x.com/kylegriffin1/status/1848732304924885040.

May, Madeleine, Chrissy Hallowell, and Katrina Kaufman. 2024. “‘Election Protection’ Activist Says He Plans to Flag Voters with ‘Hispanic-Sounding’ Names as ‘Suspicious’ - CBS News.” October 21, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/election-integrity-north-carolina-voters-hispanic-sounding-names/.

Mercy Seat Christian Church, dir. 2024. Election Sermon 2024: Voting for Magistrates and the Law of God. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ldZs-CZczSE.

Newman, Lily Hay. n.d. “Microsoft Warns Foreign Disinformation Is Hitting the US Election From All Directions.” Wired. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.wired.com/story/microsoft-russia-china-iran-election-disinformation/.

“Office of Public Affairs | Justice Department Announces Four Cases Brought by Election Threats Task Force | United States Department of Justice.” 2024. October 23, 2024. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-four-cases-brought-election-threats-task-force.

Owen, Tess. n.d. “US Intel Says Insider Threats Are ‘Likely’ During the Election.” Wired. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.wired.com/story/insider-threats-election/.

“Police Say Fires Set at Ballot Boxes in Oregon and Washington Are Connected; ‘Suspect Vehicle’ ID’d.” 2024. AP News. October 28, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/vote-ballot-drop-box-democracy-fire-f66c52f774955106fb9e7c8172825cff.

“Preparing for Election Day Threats Amid Rising Right-Wing Violence.” 2024a. Organizing My Thoughts. October 24, 2024. https://organizingmythoughts.org/preparing-for-election-day-threats-amid-rising-right-wing-violence/.

“———.” 2024b. Organizing My Thoughts. October 24, 2024. https://organizingmythoughts.org/preparing-for-election-day-threats-amid-rising-right-wing-violence/.

“‘Take Back the States’: The Far-Right Sheriffs Ready to Disrupt the Election | WIRED.” n.d. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.wired.com/story/constitutional-sheriffs-disrupt-election/?s=09.

TBTR. n.d. “TBTR STRATEGIES.” TBTR STRATEGIES. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://tbtr.us/poll-watcher%2F-observers.

“Trump Ally Exposed for Horrific Hit List of Political Enemies | The New Republic.” n.d. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://newrepublic.com/post/183652/trump-ally-exposed-horrific-hit-list-political-enemies.

“Trump Issues First Call to Arms Over Election Fraud Conspiracies.” 2024. Yahoo News. October 25, 2024. https://newrepublic.com/post/187578/donald-trump-first-call-election-fraud-conspiracies.

Vasoli, Bradley. 2024. “Activists Challenge Hundreds of Mail-in Ballot Applications, Citing Non-Residency.” Broad + Liberty. October 28, 2024. https://broadandliberty.com/2024/10/28/activists-challenge-hundreds-of-mail-in-ballot-applications-citing-non-residency/.

Venn, Tatiana. 2024. “Judicial Watch to Monitor Wisconsin Polls; Stands Up National Election Fraud Report Line For Voters to Report Voting Issues.” Judicial Watch. October 22, 2024. https://www.judicialwatch.org/monitor-wisconsin-polls/.

Washburn, Logan. 2024. “OR Voting Portal May Let Anyone Cast An Overseas Voter’s Ballot.” The Federalist. October 22, 2024. https://thefederalist.com/2024/10/22/oregons-voting-portal-appears-to-let-anyone-cast-an-overseas-voters-ballot-with-just-his-name-and-birthday/.

Wilson, Jason. 2024a. “‘Expect War’: Leaked Chats Reveal Influence of Rightwing Media on Militia Group.” The Guardian, October 28, 2024, sec. US news. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/28/rightwing-media-influence-militia-group.

———. 2024b. “The Far-Right Megadonor Pouring over $10m into the US Election to Defeat ‘the Woke Regime.’” The Guardian, October 22, 2024, sec. US news. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/22/thomas-klingenstein-megadonor-pro-trump-pac.

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“———.” n.d.-b. X (Formerly Twitter). Accessed October 28, 2024. https://x.com/marcsallinger/status/1849539989589328148.

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