Trump eyes blue state victories in 2024, vows to 'work' New York, New Jersey, Minnesota

Former President Donald Trump is planning to campaign extensively in states that have traditionally voted Democratic in a bid to make the GOP more competitive nationwide.

"I'm going to make a heavy play for New York, heavy play for New Jersey, heavy play for Virginia, heavy play for New Mexico, and a heavy play for a state that hasn’t been won in years, Minnesota," Trump told Breitbart News. "I’m going to do rallies, I’m going to do speeches, I’m going to work them... That doesn’t mean I’m going to work them as hard as I work Pennsylvania, where I’m doing very well."

New York has not backed a Republican for president since 1984, when the state broke for Ronald Reagan. Minnesota, moreover, has not done so since choosing Richard Nixon in 1972.

In the case of the Empire State, where Trump previously lived, he pointed to former New York GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin's unexpectedly strong performance in the 2022 gubernatorial race, which he narrowly lost.

"I believe we have a chance to win New York. I believe we have a chance to win New Jersey. If you look at Lee, he lost by a pretty close race. But it’s 100 times worse now than it was two years ago. Now, you have people—you have migrants living on Madison Avenue," Trump said. "You can’t get into a hospital. You can’t get into a school. You go to a public school and half the kids are sitting there and have no idea what the teacher is saying. You can’t get into these schools. I think it’s really bad and I think the people in New York and New Jersey and a lot of these states are—it would have been semi-unthinkable but I think these are states that can be won."

The influx of illegal immigrants into left-wing bastions such as New York City and Chicago has prompted outrage among local residents and placed pressure upon Democratic leaders to review their sanctuary policies. In the past year, New York City alone has had to contend with the arrival of more than 110,000 people. With immigration a signature issue of the Republican party, Trump has organized a rally in heart of the city.

"I may rent Madison Square Garden and that’s the belly of the beast, right?" he said.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.