Is a Trump rally akin to a Nazi rally? This state senator thinks so.

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Oct 09, 2024 View in browser   By Jason Beeferman Presented by  State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal said Wednesday morning that former President Trump's upcoming rally at Madison Square Garden will be similar to the Nazi party rally at the arena in 1939. | Scott Goldsmith for POLITICO TRUMP RALLY DRAWS UGLY COMPARISON: Former President Donald Trump is set to hold a rally at Madison Square Garden later this month, and the event is already sparking fierce backlash from New York Democrats. Now Manhattan state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal’s passionate plea to cancel the event has sparked another debate. “Let’s be clear,” Hoylman-Sigal wrote on X this morning. “Allowing Trump to hold an event at MSG is equivalent to the infamous Nazis rally at Madison Square Garden on February 20, 1939.” Hoylman-Sigal, who demanded the famed arena cancel the event, refuted criticism from Republicans that his comparison went too far. While Trump may not necessarily be the same as Hitler, the idea of his “white supremacist” supporters descending on MSG mirrors the Nazi Party rally that filled up the same space 85 years ago, he said. “I was talking about the venue and many of his followers who are white supremacists and have demonstrated hatred and vitriol toward minority groups, including Jews, people of color and the LGBTQ community,” he said. “I'm not calling anyone a Nazi,” he added. “I'm pointing out a historic similarity.” State Sen. Rob Ortt, who leads the Senate’s Republican minority, slammed Hoylman-Sigal for the comparison. “Referring to a peaceful rally for the leading candidate for President of the United States as a ‘Nazi Rally' is not only a disgusting comparison, it is a gross escalation of the dangerous rhetoric in the wake of two direct attempts on President Donald Trump’s life,” he said in a statement. But voices representing Jewish Democrats who spoke with Playbook didn’t seem to have a problem with Hoylman-Sigal’s comments. Trump "refused to condemn white supremacy and instead incited right-wing extremists to engage in an insurrection, and aligned with and dined with Holocaust deniers and neo-Nazis,” Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, told Playbook in a statement. “If ever there was a moment to make such a comparison, it's now, which is why the vast majority of American voters are opposing Donald Trump in this election." Another Jewish Democrat, Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the left-leaning Jewish Council for Public Affairs, wasn’t ready to disavow Hoylman-Sigal’s comparison, either. “Frankly, this whole debate seems like a distraction from the actual crisis of increasingly normalized antisemitism — including from former President Trump, who has preemptively scapegoated Jews for a potential loss and who has mainstreamed the conspiracy theories responsible for deadly violence against Jews and others,” Spitalnick said. “I would like to stay focused on that.” The state Senator’s decision to compare Trump supporters to Hitler’s Nazi Party comes as the extreme wings of both parties come under scrutiny for their ties to antisemitic groups. It also comes as Trump has curiously decided to return for another political rally in the Democratic stronghold of New York at the height of campaign season after his Nassau Coliseum rally last month drew thousands of supporters. On Monday, Trump visited New York to commemorate Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. He stopped at the gravesite of the Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the revered former leader of the Orthodox Jewish Chabad-Lubavitch sect. The former president, who said Jews who vote for Vice President Kamala Harris or President Joe Biden “should have their head examined,” has repeatedly told the Jewish community that the existential fate of Israel can only be saved by his reelection. — Jason Beeferman   A message from Uber: New York City Uber riders pay $700 Million in taxes and fees annually* That’s more than the entire budget for New York City Parks Department. *Based on trips originating from NYC in 2023. Learn more.   From the Capitol Gov. Kathy Hochul (right) sits next to former Arizona Democratic Rep. and gun safety activist Gabby Giffords at a Wednesday event marking a drop in gun violence in New York. | Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul GUNS AND GOV: Hochul touted this morning the drop in violent crime statewide as she signed a package of new gun laws alongside former Rep. Gabby Giffords. The measures — meant to streamline the so-called red flag law to keep guns away from people deemed to be too dangerous and track gun and ammo purchases — were approved as Hochul has tried to make public safety a clear priority. “This is how we honor those who died as a result of gun violence, those who still carry the wounds,” she said. Crime has been a politically important issue for Republicans over the last two election cycles, and Hochul faced a surprisingly close race against former Rep. Lee Zeldin, who ran on a public safety platform. Hochul, who spoke alongside Giffords at a ceremony in Manhattan, pointed to the drop in shootings and murders over the last year and tied those reductions to her gun policies. “It didn’t happen by accident,” she said. “It’s (because of) intentional strategies.” The push for gun law changes also dovetails with the current campaign season. Groups seeking tighter gun control laws have started to air TV ads in New York House races, most recently in swing seats in the Hudson Valley. — Nick Reisman   A message from Uber:   From The Campaign Trail New York Democrats are boasting an enhanced ground game in the wake of 2022 losses. | New York State Democratic Party DOORKNOCKIN’ DEMS TOUT BIG NUMBERS: The state Democratic Party and its allies are putting up big numbers as candidates enter the final weeks until election day, and Hochul is continuing to project a strong state party operation to avoid a repeat of Democrats’ 2022 disaster. Since September, the Hochul-led state party has knocked on about 300,000 doors and made 1.3 million phone calls, according to numbers provided by party officials. That’s up from the 220,000 doors knocked and the 540,000 phone calls made from July to September. Last time battleground Dems were on the ballot, the party lost four House seats — contributing to the GOP seizing control — and Hochul eked out a gubernatorial victory by a meager six point margin. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blamed the losses squarely on Hochul. Amid the fallout, the governor has made it her priority to boost House candidates in New York’s battleground districts. That includes beefing up the much-maligned state party infrastructure and placing a greater emphasis on fundraising for the state party than in previous years. The party now says it’s averaging three times the amount of voters contacted a week as compared to previous years. The National Republican Congressional Committee, which is leading the effort to boost battleground Republicans in New York, wouldn’t share their get-out-the-vote numbers with Playbook. “The NRCC remains committed to winning all battleground House seats in New York, as is evidenced by our unprecedented commitment to ground game that began in earnest in 2023,” NRCC spokesperson Savannah Viar said in a statement. “While the Democrats boast about their effort to make up for embarrassing losses in 2022, we won’t let our foot off the gas or provide strategy in the press.” Other efforts outside of the state Democratic party, like the SuperPAC Battleground New York, have also been canvassing for votes to boost Democrats. That group has knocked on 228,000 doors since July. — Jason Beeferman   A message from Uber: Ever thought about what it’s like to drive for Uber in New York? Uber Drivers earn $32 per hour.* And that’s before incentives and tips They also get benefits including dental insurance, vision coverage, mental health support, and workers’ compensation through the Black Car Fund and Driver Benefits Fund. *Average earnings per online hour from January - July 2024 based on trips originating from NYC Learn more.   IN OTHER NEWS... VETO PEN AGAIN: Influential business organizations want Hochul to once again veto a measure meant to expand the state’s wrongful death statute. The bill would make it easier for people to sue for emotional anguish when a loved one dies. Current law allows for only economic losses that can be easily quantified. Hochul has vetoed previous versions of the bill after private-sector advocacy groups and local governments raised objections that the measure would drive up their insurance costs. Those concerns remain. A letter signed by 35 business groups — including the Long Island Association, the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York and The Business Council of New York State — pressed Hochul to veto the measure for a third time. The letter raised concerns that the broader economy in the state would be affected by the bill’s potential to hike insurance rates. “With the rising cost of groceries, housing and healthcare, and growing tax and fee burdens, New Yorkers are in the middle of an affordability crisis,” the letter stated. “This coalition urges you to once again veto legislation that will dramatically alter the liability environment in New York, putting the state out of line with the rest of the nation.” Hochul’s office has not signaled how she will act on the latest version of the bill. State lawmakers have defended the measure’s intent. They believe the current wrongful death law is too narrow. “New York's wrongful death statute is over 175 years old, and it is unfortunately out of step with nearly every other state because New York's laws prohibit grief-stricken families from recovering damages for their emotional suffering from the death of their loved one,” supporters wrote in a bill memo. — Nick Reisman VETO PEN, AGAIN: The Citizens Budget Commission, meanwhile, urged Hochul today to veto a dozen so-called pension sweeteners. The fiscal watchdog is concerned the pension bills meant to boost benefits for public employees would increase costs for taxpayers at “unsustainable rates.” — CUOMO VS TISH?: The two Democrats could be up against one another in the 2025 race for mayor. (The New York Times) — UPGRADE PLEASE: The city’s consumer agency is pushing for some changes to the hotel licensing bill, saying that aspects of enforcement are outside of its scope. (POLITICO Pro) — THE OTHER BALLOT PROP FIGHT: The New York City ballot propositions aiming to expand mayoral powers are facing flack from Democrats critical of Adams. (Gothamist) Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.   Follow us on Twitter Jason Beeferman @JasonBeeferman   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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