Donald Trump’s decision to hold a rally in the heart of Manhattan on October 27, nine days before Election Day, has been denounced by New York Democrats, with one comparing the booking to an infamous Nazi rally held in the run-up to was held at the same location. to the Second World War.

But it has also led to a backlash against such sentiments, with Republicans saying such rhetoric is further raising tensions in a presidential election campaign that has already seen two attempts on Trump’s life.

Democratic Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, whose district includes much of the west side of Manhattan where a date for Trump’s “arena tour” rally has been booked at Madison Square Garden, called on venue owners to cancel the event.

“Let’s be clear,” Hoylman-Sigal wrote on X. “Allowing Trump to hold an event at MSG is equivalent to the infamous Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden on February 20, 1939.”

Hoylman-Sigal was referring to a pro-Hitler rally organized by the German-American Bund, which was attended by more than 20,000 people and featured a portrait of George Washington flanked by swastikas. Many attendees came from Yaphank, Long Island, where the Bund was headquartered and had a summer camp teaching Nazi ideology.

In 2019, Hillary Clinton used a speech at the same location to decry “an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of our democracy,” referring to the infamous Bund meeting.

But Republicans in New York denounced 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 his life from President Donald Trump. Senator Rob Ortt said in a statement.

In his post, Hoylman-Sigal tried to downplay the comparison he made. “I don’t call anyone a Nazi,” he said. “I’m pointing out a historical similarity.”

The state senator added, “I was talking about the location and many of its followers who are white supremacists and have shown hatred and vitriol toward minority groups, including Jews, people of color and the LGBTQ community.”

Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, told Politico that Trump had refused to condemn white supremacy, incited right-wing extremists to insurrection, and aligned and dined with Holocaust deniers and neo-Nazis.

“If there was ever a time to make such a comparison, it is now. That is why the vast majority of American voters are against Donald Trump in this election,” Soifer said.

The dispute comes as the major political parties are locked in an expensive battle for control of New York’s suburban districts, which turned Republican in 2022 and deprived Democrats of a majority in Congress.

But it also comes as Jewish voters in New York City are weighing their traditional Democratic alignment against the spreading conflict in the Middle East. Trump has said that Jews who vote for Vice President Kamala Harris should “have their heads examined.”

Members of the Democrats’ progressive wing have been accused of anti-Semitism for their statements criticizing Israeli actions and for their support of pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in the city.

Earlier this week, Trump held a commemorative event to mark the first anniversary of the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israelis on October 7, 2023. He called the attack on Israel a “nightmare” and went on to say that the rise of anti-Semitism in the US were the result of democratic leadership.

Trump has previously said he had hoped to hold a rally at Madison Square Garden, home to sports teams such as the New York Knicks and the Rangers, and the country’s most prestigious rock venue.

“We’re going to have a rally at Madison Square Garden, we think,” Trump said in April. “We think we’ll sign Madison Square Garden for this. We’re going to have a big rally to honor the police, and to honor the firefighters, and everyone. Honoring many people, including teachers by the way.”

The dispute over a Trump rally at the site comes as Democrats have largely toned down their comparisons between Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement and Nazi ideology.

In May, Joe Biden accused Trump of using “Hitler’s language” after the former president temporarily shared a video in which Truth Social referred to a “unified empire.”

Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Hoylman-Sigal’s comments are “the same type of dangerous rhetoric that led to two assassination attempts on President Trump’s life and divided our country” and called on the senator to resign to step.

Republican Senate candidate Vito LaBella said on X that Hoylman-Sigal’s comments would alienate voters. “All polls show that about half of this country supports this man. It’s okay that you hate Trump. You just called 150 million voters Nazis (sic). Shame on you.”