Trump supporters turned away as Madison Square Garden rally hits maximum capacity
New York, New York - Donald Trump's MAGA base turned out in droves to support his highly anticipated rally at the iconic Madison Square Garden this weekend, and TAG24 NEWS was live on the scene to catch all of the action.
Trump held the big event on Sunday, October 27, and fans simply had to register to attend via a form on his website.
Police officers were set up in and around Penn Station to guide fans into lines to enter as the venue opened its doors around noon.
The entire block of 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenue was barricaded off and littered with hundreds of MAGA fans, who were stopped from entering as the venue began to fill up.
Despite the chilly fall weather and hours spent standing in line, spirits among the crowd were high as they chanted slogans like "USA!" and "Fight! Fight!" each time the line moved. Some broke out into small pockets of political debates, with most showering the former president with praise.
A man named Gary told TAG24 that he was there for his first Trump rally ever. He went on to say that as a lifelong New Yorker, he used to think of Trump as "a schmuck," but now he finds him "absolutely f**king hysterical!"
When asked if he believed either Trump or his rival, Kamala Harris, would win the presidential election in nine days, Gary said with enthusiasm, "I can feel it in my bones that Trump is going to win – just look at this excitement!"
MAGA fans get turned away at the door before Trump hits the stage
As the wait droned on, many in the crowd had no option but to get to know each other.
One woman came with an infant strapped to her chest. When one man in the crowd asked, "Lady, did you bring your baby with you?" she said with a laugh, "Gotta get them while they're young!"
At one point, a reporter was interviewing a man who claimed the election would be plagued with overwhelming amounts of voter fraud.
As the journalist began pushing back on the claims, other members of the audience began interjecting and berating the reporter.
After well over three hours of waiting, the crowd began to get antsy, with many frustrated over the fact that they were registered to attend but did not seem likely to be getting in.
"I should have worn a diaper!" one older woman said. "I knew a lady once that said she wore diapers to these things. Now I know why."
At around 4 PM, an official with the venue finally announced to the crowd that MSG had reached maximum capacity, and guests would no longer be let in.
As Madison Square Garden seats 19,500, filling the venue makes for a very impressive final pitch to voters ahead of Election Day on November 5.
But as the event continued, a number of clips featuring early speakers stirred controversy, particularly one snippet of comedian Tony Hitchcliffe's speech in which he called Puerto Rico "a floating island of garbage."
Cover photo: TAG24 / Rey Harris