Many have been on the lookout for an "October surprise" as a potential turning point in the hotly contested 2024 presidential election. Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday October 27th may have provided just that, said Christopher McKnight Nichols, professor of history and the Woody Hayes Chair in National Security Studies at The Ohio State University. The comments of several speakers on the platform that demeaned and disparaged the island of Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans, Latinos, Palestinians as well as Jews, and people of color, and included misogynist remarks by many speakers, including Trump, have the potential to impact the views of late-deciding voters in key battleground states, notably among those very groups who were singled out. "Coming as close to the election as it does, this could very well be the October surprise politicians, campaigns, pundits, and citizens alike have been anticipating," Nichols said. Nichols is available to discuss the possible implications of the rally and the history of the “October surprise” in U.S. presidential elections.
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