Mayor Adams defended Donald Trump Saturday against recent bombshell allegations by a former White House aide that the former president is a “fascist” who who said positive things about Adolf Hitler and his Nazi generals.
“I have had those terms hurled at me,” Adams said at a press conference at police headquarters in Manhattan on security efforts for Trump’s Sunday rally at Madison Square Garden.
“I know what Hitler has done and I know what a fascist regime looks like. Trump has nothing to do with either,” he said, referring to reports former Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly said the former president told him “Hitler did some good things” and expressed admiration for the loyalty of his Nazi generals.
Earlier in the press conference, Adams had implored New Yorkers to “to take down the temperature.” Rather than causing “problems” in the city, he urged New Yorkers to participate in the democratic process by voting.
The intense political divides could come into play over the weekend, as Trump, who has faced two attempted assassinations in the last year tries to “make a play for New York.” The city, Adams vowed, has taken precautions to ensure the safety of everyone.
“No police department is better prepared, equipped and trained to handle these events than the NYPD,” Interim Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon said. Preparations have been in the works since September.
Jeff Bachner/New York Daily News
Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a news conference at NYPD headquarters to discuss security ahead of Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
There will be drone teams, counterterrorism units, heavy weapons teams and a transit footprint, to name a few, with many working in tandem with federal officials at a joint operations center, Chief John Chell said.
While they are anticipating protests, “we are not tracking any specific credible threats to the event,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism Rebecca Weiner said.
According to Chell, the department has dealt with approximately 4,300 protests in the last year. While the NYPD respects free speech, there will be zero tolerance for “disruption, destruction or criminality,” Weiner said.
Closures will go into place as early as 2 a.m., with the rally slated to last from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.. The Garden is set to accommodate 19,000 attendees on a first come, first served basis.
“We’re applying a lot of resources to this, not just because of the hypothetical what ifs, but because of everything we’re seeing unfold across the county and around the world,” Weiner added.
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