Trump rally brings economic boost to Wildwood, New Jersey boardwalk

According to CBS News the Wildwood Mayor, while awaiting official figures, anticipates the rally's economic impact to be in the millions.

"Any time that you can have a president or a candidate for president come to your community, it's a win-win. It's an economic feast for the businesses," said Mayor Ernie Troiano.

The sentiment was echoed by local businesses, with the owner of Capt'n Jack's bar and restaurant describing the rally as “like Fourth of July, Labor Day weekend, and Memorial Day weekend all packed into one.”

"This is such a boost to start paying bills, paying my Cisco bill, my food, my liquor bills. This was a big big help," owner Sean Doughtery said, per CBS.

Doughtery explained that a typical Saturday in May on the boardwalk is slow. However, instead of closing early last Saturday as usual, he welcomed the boom of customers as Trump’s rally carried on.

The rally, which far exceeded initial attendance estimates by city officials of 40,000, saw an overwhelming turnout. A city official from Wildwood estimated the crowd size to be between 80,000 and 100,000, based on previous events held at the location. The Trump campaign stated that the event exceeded 100,000 attendees.

Supporters of the former president flooded the beach and boardwalk, proudly displaying their allegiance by wearing Trump’s iconic Make America Great Again hat and waving Trump flags. The event, held between Morey's Piers and Adventure Pier, marked Trump's return to the city for the first time since 2020 and served as the first major rally in the New York area since 2016.