Donald Trump revived a fight with Republican presidential primary opponent Ted Cruz over “New York values” during a speech he made at a rally in Bethpage, N.Y., late Wednesday.
It was the Manhattan billionaire’s first rally in his home state.
“I started talking to him [Cruz] about the World Trade Center and the incredible bravery of everybody: our police, our firemen,” Trump told the audience, which he estimated to be 15,000 inside the venue.
“Who could’ve rebuilt that whole — there was never anything like that in this country. The worst attack in the history of the United States. The bravery that was shown was incredible. We all lived through it,” Trump continued. “We all know people that died and I’ve got this guy standing over there looking at me talking about New York values with scorn in his face, with hatred, with hatred of New York. So folks, I think you can forget about him.”
The GOP front-runner repeatedly praised the people of New York and focused the rest of his remarks on appealing to Empire State residents. Trump said the government needs to embody the spirit of Long Islanders, a 118-mile-long island that includes the two New York City boroughs Brooklyn and Queens, as well as Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
“We don’t fight like people from Long Island, we don’t fight like people from New York. So we’re going to rebuild our military, it’s going to be bigger and better and stronger than ever before and nobody is going to mess with us,” Trump promised the crowd.
Trump, who said he drove from Manhattan to the rally in central Long Island, also hit on trade, calling the Trans-Pacific Partnership a plan to “suck the blood out of New York” and “out of our country.”
In a pivot to immigration policy, Trump cited a poem about a needy snake that is taken in by a kind woman who is then taken advantage of by the snake. He first mentioned the poem in January, noting the correlation between the snake and Syrian refugees, and has recited it at a number of rallies since.
Now she stroked his pretty skin and then she kissed and held him tight,
But instead of saying thanks, that snake gave her a vicious bite,
“I saved you,” cried that woman,
“And you’ve bit me even, why?
You know your bite is poisonous and now I’m going to die,”
“Oh shut up, silly woman,” said the reptile with a grin,
“You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in.”
Trump’s daughter Ivanka opened the event with remarks about his successes in New York and around the globe.
The entire Trump family was in attendance except for his wife Melania and their son Baron. Only one protestor interrupted the event, but hundreds were gathered outside the venue.
