A video capturing former President Donald Trump’s unexpected visit to a Bronx barbershop made waves online Thursday. Supporters hailed the appearance as a testament to his “authenticity.”
Trump stopped by the King of Knockouts barbershop before attending the Al Smith charity dinner later that evening. Reports indicated he mingled for about an hour with patrons and barbers while security from the NYPD and U.S. Secret Service kept watch.
Footage from the visit, shared on X (formerly Twitter) by senior adviser Steven Cheung and deputy director of communications Margo Martin, quickly racked up over 250,000 views in just a couple of hours.
As the video circulated, fans expressed their approval in the comments, with one stating, “He’s authentic. We need a lot more of that in American politics.” While some thought the visit was spontaneous, barbershop owner Javiel Rodriguez explained to News 12 that the planning took several days.
The barbers were sporting “Make Barbers Great Again” shirts, parodying Trump’s well-known campaign slogan.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
This isn’t Trump’s first trip to the Bronx this campaign cycle. In March, he held a rally there, pledging support to Democratic leaders if he returned to the White House. “I will call your mayor and your governor to say, ‘this is President Trump and I want to come back and help,'” he stated during that event.
Trump’s focus on New York is noteworthy, especially as a Republican in a state typically dominated by Democrats. New York has voted Democratic in the last nine presidential elections, with Trump losing by about 33 percent in both 2016 and 2020.
The neighborhood Trump visited falls within the 14th Congressional District, which has consistently elected Democratic representatives, including the well-known Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Despite Biden and Harris outpacing Trump in statewide polls for much of the 2024 campaign, certain rural areas outside New York City have shown more Republican support.
Following his barbershop visit, Trump was scheduled to head to the Al Smith charity dinner, where he was set to be the featured speaker. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris opted out of attending in person to focus on her campaign but arranged to share a recorded message for the event.