A couple of Bronx locals detailed Thursday on Fox News their reasons behind turning away from the Democrat Party and instead to former President Donald Trump while at a rally in New York.
Former lifelong Democrat Bronx locals John Garland and Andre Drayton appeared on “Jesse Watters Primetime” to discuss why they moved on from the Democrat party and will support Trump in the upcoming 2024 elections. Fox host Jesse Watters began by asking Garland about the atmosphere of Trump’s scheduled New York rally in one of the bluest areas within the city. (RELATED: Liberal Outlet Says Trump Rally Turnout ‘Much Larger Than Biden Campaign Would Like,’ Trump Is ‘Remarkably On Message’)
“It was exciting,” Garland said. “The entire atmosphere was electrifying. There were people from all over the Bronx — black, white, Hispanics, there was Asians, there was Jews. There were, like, it was just a smorgasbord of, basically, patriots.”
“I would describe it as people came out here to show that they were fed up,” he continued. “They’re fed up with systemic racism, they’re fed up with being systemically excluded and it’s not just minorities. It’s about the American people. You know? We make up a whole spectrum of different people. You know?”
Watters asked Garland if there was something in particular Trump said that “hit home” for him.
“There wasn’t anything in particular that moved me, [it was] the whole thing as a whole,” Garland responded. “It was the sum of its parts. There were people who were expressing themselves in a way like we’re fed up. People from the Bronx is fed up, people from New York is fed up. We want something different, we want change.”
“Donald Trump has promised to bring change and he’s proven that he can do that,” he said. “This isn’t somebody who’s just stepping into the political arena as he was in 2016. Now he’s experienced. He has went through what he’s had to go through. The man’s skin is as thick as steel. We are here for him because he is here for us.”
The host then brought on Fox correspondent Alexis McAdams, who was on the ground at the rally speaking to locals in attendance to support Trump. McAdams asked Drayton why he planned to change his vote from blue to red this year.
“Because I’ve seen the change go for the worst,” Drayton stated. “With the Bidenomics, with the Democratic Party. I’ve been a Democrat all my life and Donald Trump, he just has all the right answers. He’s speaking on illegal immigration, all the money pouring out of the country, people losing their jobs, the economy is failing. At 60 years old I realize now that we have to support Donald Trump and make things better.”
“People have different reasons for being out here, but I’m not a peer-pressure type of guy,” he added. “For me to be out here like this — I feel like if I’m changing my mind, then anybody can. Because I don’t just bend easily, I’m a hard guy to change up.”
McAdams asked the resident if he believed Trump could win in the deep blue area of the city, pointing out that the last time a Republican presidential candidate won Bronx was roughly “100 years” ago.
“Absolutely, but he’s going to win it this time,” Drayton responded. “Trust me, he will. I have a lot of friends, I’ve been here all my life. I know what’s in the air so to speak, I know the talk. Like I said, me and my son is here and he’s going to win the Bronx. Absolutely.”
“Is there anything Democratic President Joe Biden can do at this point to win your vote back or some of your friends’ votes back in the Bronx?” McAdams asked.
“No, it’s over with. I just changed my whole voter registration to Republican — it’s over with. You can’t change my mind. I am not easily swayed like that. I did my research and this is what it is,” Drayton stated.
Recent polls conducted by The New York Times and Siena College found that Biden is losing Democrat key voting blocs such as young voters, Hispanic voters and black voters. While data shows Trump and Biden are in an estimated tie with voters between 18 to 29 years old and Hispanics, the former president could be potentially winning over 20% of the black vote, which would be one of the highest levels of support for the Republican Party since the 1964 Civil Rights Act, according to the New York Times.
