Former President Donald Trump has set his sights on winning the traditionally Democratic stronghold of New Jersey in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Despite losing the state by a significant margin in both 2016 and 2020, Trump expressed confidence in his ability to secure a victory in a recent interview.
“We’re going to try and win the state of New Jersey. I want the people to know that I love it,” Trump predicted in a Friday morning local radio interview on New Jersey 105.1 in the Garden State. “You know, it’s not just going to be like, gee, maybe we can get close. We’re going to win it.”
Trump added that New Jersey “is supposed to be a Democrat state. I think it’s going to flip to Republican.” The former president spoke on the eve of returning to the Garden State for a major rally in Wildwood, a heavily Republican county in a longtime blue state.
“We have a tremendous rally and hope you’re all going to be there. It’s in Wildwood, New Jersey. It’s going to be a big crowd,” the former president touted on Friday.
The weekend rally is a short distance from New York City, where Trump is spending his weekdays in court, making history as the first former or current president to stand trial in a criminal case.
Democrats do not appear to be taking Trump’s prediction very seriously. Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, a Biden surrogate, told reporters on Friday that “Jersey is not going to be a welcoming place for Trump.” Additionally, Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler noted that “Trump’s team is talking about New Jersey. They’re talking about holding concerts in Madison Square Garden to turn out voters in states like New York. I think here on planet earth in the Biden campaign, we’re going to remain laser focused on winning 270 electoral votes.”
Despite the skepticism from his opponents, Trump remains optimistic about his chances of flipping New Jersey and expanding his electoral map. The upcoming election promises to be an intriguing battleground, with both parties vying for the support of voters in a state that has consistently supported Democratic candidates in recent presidential elections.
