US President Donald Trump on Friday held a charged campaign-style rally at Rockland Community College's Eugene Levy Fieldhouse in suburban New York, hammering sanctuary city policies, illegal immigration, and high taxes while endorsing Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for governor and spotlighting his administration's economic record.

Immigration and Sanctuary Cities at the Centre

Trump made illegal immigration the centrepiece of the evening, directly linking sanctuary laws to violent crime. He invited the family of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old New York college student killed in Chicago earlier this year, to speak from the stage.

'My beautiful daughter, Sheridan Grace Gorman, was murdered in cold blood,' her mother Jessica Gorman said. 'She was walking on a pier in Chicago with her friends just a few blocks from her campus.'

Her father, Tom Gorman, attributed the killing to what he described as failures in immigration enforcement and sanctuary laws. 'Illegal immigration is different. Criminal illegal immigration is different. Borders matter, laws matter, enforcement matters,' he said.

Trump described the suspect in the case as 'an illegal alien monster' who 'should have never been in this country.' He also targeted New York state directly, claiming it had 'just yesterday' passed a budget 'packed with provisions to obstruct federal immigration enforcement and keep this a deadly sanctuary state.'

SAVE America Act and Voting Reforms

The President renewed his push for the SAVE America Act, calling for mandatory voter identification, proof of citizenship, and sweeping restrictions on mail-in ballots. 'Think of it, voter ID, proof of citizenship, and mail-in ballots are gone, except if you need it,' Trump told the crowd. Critics have argued such measures could disenfranchise eligible voters, though the administration frames them as anti-fraud safeguards.

Economy, Taxes, and Investment

Trump praised Congressman Mike Lawler for helping restore higher state and local tax (SALT) deductions for New York residents. 'With the help of your great Congressman, it's what happened. We got your taxes cut,' he said. Lawler told supporters that 'over 90 per cent of my constituents were able to fully deduct their state and local taxes.'

Trump also cited manufacturing and investment activity in New York, naming projects by General Motors, Chobani, and Micron as evidence of a domestic economic revival. 'American companies are ordering core capital goods to expand their operations at the highest rate in the history of our country,' he claimed, without citing a specific source for the figure.

He accused Democrats of driving businesses and wealthy residents out of the state through high taxes and rising crime. 'Companies are leaving, rich people are leaving. New York can never be the same if it's losing its tax base,' Trump said.

Foreign Policy and Iran

Trump briefly turned to foreign policy, asserting that Iran 'will never have a nuclear weapon' and claiming Tehran was seeking negotiations following recent US military operations. 'Their Navy's gone, their air force is gone, everything's gone,' he said — claims that could not be independently verified from the rally remarks alone.

Medal of Freedom and Endorsements

In an emotional moment, Trump announced that Welles Crowther — widely known as the 'man in the red bandanna' for his actions saving lives during the September 11 attacks — would posthumously receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Crowther's mother, Alison Crowther, thanked the President and said her son's story continued to inspire young people 'to be better people.'

Trump formally endorsed Bruce Blakeman for governor, calling him 'your Republican nominee' and predicting he would 'turn this place around so fast.' The rally underscored the Republican Party's intent to compete aggressively in New York ahead of the next electoral cycle.