JUST IN: Thousands Of NYC Bodegas Issue Statement Backing Trump

Former President Donald Trump met with Manhattan bodega workers Tuesday after his second day in court. The former president was invited by the Bodega Association to discuss crime, which members say endangers bodega and deli workers. Trump, who went to the meeting directly from the court where he is a defendant in a criminal trial, said he supports law and order. Dozens lined the Upper Manhattan streets to greet the former President.

As a result, thousands of New York City bodegas have thrown their support behind Trump, marking a significant political endorsement from one of the city’s most ubiquitous and beloved institutions. The move has surprised some considering the city’s typically liberal reputation.

During his visit to a Harlem bodega, Trump reinforced his stance on crime, a central theme of his 2024 campaign. The bodega was the same store where, two years earlier, then-clerk Jose Alba was charged with murder after a confrontation behind the counter.

Former President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday outside a bodega in Harlem where a clerk fatally stabbed a man in 2022.Credit. Anna Watts for The New York Times

Trump’s visit was a pointed critique of the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whom he accused of being too lenient on crime while being overly focused on prosecuting him. Outside the bodega, Trump declared, “It’s Alvin Bragg’s fault. Alvin Bragg does nothing.”

“You know where the crime is, in the bodegas where they come and rob them every week,” Trump said.

“We need more public safety, and I really support that. Anyone who comes to support the public safety, we really appreciate,” Francisco Marte, President of the Bodega Association.

The former president’s message resonated with many attendees, including Diane Rivera-Lopez, a local supporter, who told CBS, “I think he did the right thing. By coming to support Alba, he actually showed that he even cares for the little man.”

🚨Trump leaves black supporters in Harlem with inspiring message after making suprise visit to bodega pic.twitter.com/C6AtJyjFwg

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 16, 2024

The Bodega and Small Business Group, representing thousands of New York City bodegas, issued a statement supporting Trump, and criticizing DA Bragg, by condemning local politicians for neglecting the city’s widespread crime.

“The Bodega and Small Business Group (BSBG)… is honored to host former President Donald J. Trump at the Blue Moon bodega in Manhattan, where Jose Alba was arrested for merely defending himself and his business against a convicted felon,” the statement read.

“The Manhattan DA, Alvin Bragg, only backed off after an angry public campaign from store owners and their supporters united behind Mr. Alba and his Constitutional rights. The Bodega and Small Business Group appreciates President Trump’s support on behalf of tougher enforcement for retail thieves that are making our stores more dangerous and less profitable at the same time.”

“President Trump’s visit and support comes at a time when our own state legislators have refused to strengthen the laws against repeat retail theft offenders: ‘Legislative Democrats have formally rejected Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to make it a felony for assaulting a retail worker, a reflection of how the party remains split over criminal justice issues and how to address voters’ concerns over public safety.'”

As the city prepares for the upcoming electoral season, the support from such a grassroots level could be impactful for Trump’s campaign.