Trump’s Madison Square Garden event turns into a rally filled with vulgar and racist insults

NEW YORK — Donald Trump hosted a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday that featured vulgar and racial slurs, turning what his campaign had touted as an event where he would deliver his final message in the final days of the campaign into an illustration of what discourages his critics.

Several speakers brutally insulted Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who is seeking to become the first woman and black woman to become president. And the stand-up comedian made lewd and racist remarks about Latinos, Jews and Black people, all key constituencies in an election that’s nine days away.

“I don’t know if you know this, but right now there is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” said comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose joke was immediately criticized by the Harris campaign, which is competing with Trump to win over Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania and other swing states.

Trump’s childhood friend David Rem called Harris the “Antichrist” and “the devil.” Businessman Grant Cardone told the crowd that Harris “and her pimps will destroy our country.”

The event was a surreal spectacle and included Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, television psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, former wrestler Hulk Hogan and someone who painted a picture of Trump hugging the Empire State Building.

And all this before the Republican Party’s presidential candidate was to take the stage, at least two hours late.

Many speakers took the stage at the Republican National Convention on Sunday. This time, the same speakers shouted and complained more about Democrats.

Hogan, returning to the venue where he performed as a professional wrestler many years ago, appeared to reprise his character, appearing wearing a giant red, orange and yellow boa and wildly waving a large American flag while posing and dancing. During his speech, he spat on the stage, flexed his muscles repeatedly and told the audience: “Trump is the only man who can fix this country today.”

While some Democrats and pundits question Trump’s decision to hold what they see as a vanity event in his hometown, the rally guarantees Trump what he desires most: a spotlight, wall-to-wall coverage and a national audience.

His campaign says the final message he will deliver on Sunday will be that Harris “broke” the country and that Trump will “fix it.” A few hours earlier, rally participants waved banners reading “Trump will fix it.”

Some Democrats, arguing that Trump is a “fascist,” compared his Sunday event to a pro-Nazi rally at the Garden in February 1939. Several Sunday speakers ripped Hillary Clinton, a Democrat defeated by Trump eight years ago, for recently saying that Trump will “recreate” the event from 1939.

“Hey, guys, now they’re arguing and trying to call us Nazis and fascists,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump’s lawyers, who hung a shiny jacket with “MAGA” written on it from the podium during her speech. “And you know what they claim, guys? It’s very scary. They claim that we will follow them and try to put them in jail. Well, isn’t that wealth?

In his trademark hoarse growl, Hogan declared, “I don’t see any stinking Nazis here.”

Trump has condemned the four criminal charges against him as politically motivated. In recent weeks, he has stepped up in denouncing “enemies from within,” naming domestic political rivals and suggesting he would use the military to pursue them. Harris in turn called Trump a “fascist.”

The arena was packed hours before Trump was scheduled to speak. Outside the arena, the sidewalks were filled with Trump supporters wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats. There were plenty of security forces there. Streets were blocked and access to Penn Station restricted.

In the crowd was Philip D’Agostino, a longtime Trump supporter from Queens, the neighborhood where Trump grew up. The 64-year-old said it was appropriate for Trump to speak at a venue that bills itself as “the most famous arena in the world.”

“It just shows that he has a bigger fan base than any man who has ever lived,” D’Agostino said.

The rally is one of a series of tours Trump has made from battleground states, including a recent rally in Coachella, California – best known for the famous music festival named after the city – and a rally in Jersey Shore in May. This summer he campaigned in the South Bronx.

To reach them, Trump spent hours appearing on popular podcasts. His campaign has produced viral moments, such as his visit to a McDonald’s restaurant last weekend, where he fried french fries and served supporters through a drive-thru window. A video of the stop posted as part of his campaign has been viewed more than 40 million times on TikTok alone.

Harris also traveled to non-battleground states to participate in major events designed to convey the national message. On Friday, she appeared in Houston with music superstar Beyoncé to talk about reproductive rights, and on Tuesday she will deliver her own closing remarks at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., where Trump spoke before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Trump will be joined at the rally by supporters including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who has spent tens of millions of dollars to boost his campaign.

Trump often compares himself to some of the country’s greatest artists. The former reality star has long spoken about her desire to hold a rally there in interviews and private conversations.

In addition to the national spotlight and the appeal of appearing on one of the world’s most famous stages, Republicans in the state say the rally will also help candidates who did not receive votes. There are several competitive congressional races in New York that could determine which party takes control of the House next year.

Trump will also use the break as a major fundraising opportunity as he continues to seriously lag Harris in the money race.

New York hasn’t voted for a Republican for president in 40 years. But that doesn’t stop Trump from constantly insisting that he believes in victory.

Trump routinely uses his hometown as a foil to audiences in other states, painting a dark vision of the city that bears little resemblance to reality. He rates it as crime-ridden and overrun by violent immigrant gangs that have taken over Fifth and Madison Avenues and occupied Times Square.

Trump has a complicated history with the place where he built his business empire, which has made him a tabloid and reality TV star. Last year, residents charged him with 34 crimes related to falsifying commercial documentation. He was found guilty in that case and found liable in a civil court for business fraud and sexual exploitation.

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