Trump slams inflation, property taxes at massive 2024 Wildwood, NJ rally

🔴 Donald Trump promises "more weekends down at the shore"

🔴 Crowd breaks 100,000 attendees, Trump claims

🔴 Chris Christie got loud boos from the crowd

WILDWOOD — Former President Donald Trump hit his opposition on inflation, slammed Chris Christie, and took shots at wind energy while speaking to an overwhelming ocean of red hats at the biggest resort city at the Jersey Shore.

UPDATE: Trump 'crowd' size for NJ rally likely inflated by 200% to 400%

The presumptive Republican nominee walked up to the podium just before 6:30 p.m. as Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" played behind him. He greeted "thousands of proud, hardworking American patriots."

The hot dog from Wildwood he ate before getting on stage was "the best." But the price of a hot dog has risen 22% since President Joe Biden took office, Trump said.

For the "brilliant" New Jersey voters, Trump promised "lower costs, higher income, and more weekends down at the shore."

Crowd breaks 100,000 attendees?

Over 80,000 people listened to U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J. 2nd District, speak before Trump's arrival, according to the City of Wildwood's Facebook page, although city officials had previously said capacity for the ticketed event was up to 40,000. Trump said that over 100,000 people were there by the time he spoke.

That's more than enough people to fill MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, which has a maximum capacity of 82,500.

Bruce Springsteen filled MetLife for three shows last fall. But Trump claimed that he had an ever bigger crowd than the Boss.

"Welcome to the largest political rally in the history of the state of New Jersey," said Van Drew.

SIZE MATTERS: City defends what it said about Trump turnout

Trump's first rally in Wildwood four years ago was planned around Van Drew's decision to leave the Democratic party in 2020 amid Trump's first impeachment.

Van Drew also got a shoutout from the former president for fighting offshore wind farm projects. Trump claimed work on the wind farms was responsible for killing birds and marine life including whales.

Chris Christie caught a stray insult as Trump said the whales looked like the former New Jersey governor. The former president asked the crowd if anybody liked former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to resounding boos.

"This is your home. This is your heritage and our American liberty is your God-given right from Morristown to Mt. Laurel, from Paterson to Pennington, and from Ocean City to Sea Isle to right here in Wildwood, New Jersey," said Trump.

RELATED: Is sonar for NJ offshore wind projects killing whales, dolphins?

Trump endorsed Christine Serrano Glassner in the Republican primary for New Jersey U.S. Senator Bob Menendez's seat. He also gave a hand to U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J. 4th District, and said that Smith is a "fighter" for the former president.

Among his promises for a second term, Trump said that his future administration would build a missile defense system similar to Israel's Iron Dome. And he said much of the project would be built in New Jersey, bringing jobs to the state.

He championed New Jersey as the pioneer of the boardwalk, the diner, and the motion picture. And he snuck in a dig at Gov. Phil Murphy for the state having the highest property taxes in the country.

See photos of the massive crowd. Story continues below 👇

Trump also said he would reverse course on Biden's push for electric vehicles. Gov. Murphy has also promised a ban on the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035.

On illegal immigration, the former president said that New Jersey was suffering more than any other state in the country — he claimed a study showed illegal immigration cost New Jersey residents $7.3 billion each year or $2,100 per household.

Without naming Rutgers University or Princeton University, Trump also denounced pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses.

Trump calls indictments "bulls**t"

The rally on Saturday took place around 150 miles south of the Manhattan courthouse where he is on trial; Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying internal Trump Organization business records.

Prosecutors said Trump made hush money payments through his fixer Michael Cohen to former porn actress Storm Daniels.

Trump said Saturday night that the indictments against him were "bulls**t" and the crowd chanted the same back at him in support.

The prosecution's case could be over by the end of next week, the Associated Press reported.

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