Dennis Quaid 'really admires' Trump for visits to New York neighborhoods after historic Bronx rally

Dennis Quaid, star of the upcoming biopic "Reagan," expressed his respect for Donald Trump following the former president's tours of minority communities in New York City.

Quaid made an appearance on "Jesse Watters Primetime" following Trump's landmark rally in the South Bronx on Thursday, where thousands turned out to support the 2024 presidential candidate.

"I really admire Trump for going into the neighborhoods," Quaid told Watters. "You know, people relate to that. They really do. If anything, all these events that been conspiring against him have actually made him more human to people."

Quaid added: "Donald Trump has been talking about cleaning house, which, you know, kind of making a clean sweep to start over. That doesn't mean being a dictator. That just means that we started doing what the American people have asked us to do." 

In the summer of 1980, Ronald Reagan visited the South Bronx, where he criticized Jimmy Carter for neglecting urban revitalization efforts, likening the area to post-World War II London. This visit preceded Reagan's narrow victory in New York by nearly 3 percentage points in the 1980 general election.

Reagan then carried New York by a margin of 8 points in his 49-state landslide win in 1984. Since Reagan's victories, no Republican president has won this traditionally Democratic stronghold during a general election.

The Hollywood veteran described Reagan's visit to the South Bronx as "very significant," recalling the moment, having "lived through" that era. 

"It took guts to go there," Quaid remarked. "He could have wound up with egg on his face." 

Quaid disclosed Reagan was the first president that he ever voted for, portraying him as a "man of the people" and a "great communicator."

In the upcoming 2024 biopic "Reagan," Dennis Quaid will play the 40th president of the United States.

"It's a really good movie that will remind us of how America used to be and what America can be," Quaid said. "You know, it's… kind of a presentation of Reagan. He was a great human being, and I'm proud of the movie."

When asked by Watters if he sees any parallels between 1980 and the present day, Quaid responded by stating that he still believes in the slogan, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

"Reagan" is set to release in theaters on August 30.