Following a tough loss in Wisconsin’s GOP primary Tuesday, Donald Trump forged ahead, travelling Wednesday to Bethpage, New York — located on Long Island, about 35 miles east of New York City — where more than 10,000 supporters greeted him at a rally and chanted his trademark catchphrases, including “Build a Wall” and “Lyin’ Ted.”
“This is home,” said Queens, N.Y.-born Trump, who lives in Manhattan and owns several properties near the rally’s venue, Grumman Studios. “It’s great to be home. We love New York.”
Trump reminded the roaring audience of his New York roots, and spoke about his “New York values,” in a nod to GOP rival Ted Cruz’s pejorative usage of the term earlier this year.
“Do you remember during the debate, when he started lecturing me on ‘New York values,’ like we’re no good,” Trump said. “And I started talking to him about the World Trade Center, the incredible bravery of everybody, our police, firemen, everybody.”
But Trump didn’t stop there, and he continued his criticism of Cruz, who also was campaigning in New York Wednesday, ahead of the state’s April 19 primary.
“Folks, I think you can forget about him,” said Trump, which was followed by chants of “Lyin’ Ted.” Trump didn’t mention the Wisconsin primary, which he lost to Cruz, during the rally.
Trump was introduced on stage by his daughter Ivanka, who gave birth to a boy, Theodore James, on March 27. She spoke to the crowd about her father’s accomplishments and her family’s New York roots.
“Many of those people live and work right here in New York, where my father myself was born, where he raised me and my siblings, and where he’s lived his entire life,” she said.
Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. also weighed in on being back in New York, telling ABC News’ Tom Llamas, “It’s home. There’s no place like home.”
The warm welcome at the rally comes after a rough ten days on the campaign trail, that included his campaign manager being charged with misdemeanor battery against a reporter, in addition to back-and-forth jabs with Cruz, involving their wives.
Trump ended his rally telling the energized crowd, “You’re going to go out and vote and say it was the most important vote you ever cast.”(JOHN SANTUCCI,JOSH HASKELL)
Link: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wisconsin-loss-trump-heads-york-hometown-rally/story?id=38210863
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