Media, Dems compare historic Trump MSG rally to 'Nazi' event, ignore Democrat events held there

MSNBC edited clips of a Ku Klux Klan rally held at Madison Square Garden in 1939 on Sunday as the Trump rally was taking place, likening the Republican frontrunner to a "fascist" leader and the rally something out of Adolf Hitler's playbook. 

"Sadly, here in America, the term fits," Clinton told the CNN host. "And you know, one other thing that you'll see next week, Kaitlin, is Trump actually reenacting the Madison Square Garden rally in 1939." 

The Washington Post also chimed in Monday, on a column entitled "Another night at the Garden: How Trump's rally echoed one in 1939."

In 1924, the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden was a pivotal moment in U.S. political history, marked by intense factionalism and the upfront influence of the KKK. Several Democratic candidates that year had ties to or sympathies with the KKK. 

William McAdoo, a former secretary of the treasury and one of the major candidates for the DNC nomination, received the endorsement of the KKK. McAdoo was a prominent leader of the progressive movement at the time and played a key role in the administration of his father-in-law, Woodrow Wilson.

Democratic politician Carter Glass, another candidate in the 1924 race, garnered support from Klan-aligned delegates. Al Smith, the first Catholic governor of New York, faced fierce opposition from these factions, who feared his nomination would alienate Protestant voters.

In 1932, another rally at Madison Square Garden was held in support of Franklin D. Roosevelt's Democratic candidacy for the presidency. The event took place during the Democratic National Convention, which was officially held in Chicago. 

Then, in 1992, Democratic candidate Bill Clinton was officially nominated as the party's presidential candidate at the Garden. In 1980, the DNC nominated President Jimmy Carter and Vice President Walter Mondale for re-election at the historic venue.

"This is not new about him, by the way. What he did last night is not a discovery. It is just more of the same, and it may be more vivid than usual," Harris said. "Donald Trump spends full-time trying to make Americans point their finger at each other."

"He fans the fuel of hatred and division, and that's why people are exhausted with him. That's why people who formerly have supported Donald Trump and have voted for him are supporting me, voting for me. People are literally ready to turn the page," she added.

While the current Madison Square Garden facility opened in 1968, the historic venue dates back to 1879, finding its home in different buildings at various points in its 145-year history.

Fox News Digital's Anders Hagerstrom contributed to this report.