Trump loyalists make racist, vulgar attacks on Harris and Democrats at rally in New York – Boston News, weather, sports

(CNN) — Former President Donald Trump ended a rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday with an ominous 80-minute speech in which he condemned his political rivals, attacked immigrants and promised to invoke an 18th-century law that would pave the way for mass deportations.

But it was the rally’s first appearances in New York – a mix of MAGA donors, entertainers and politicians – that sparked an eleventh-hour pre-campaign uproar that drew angry rebukes from Democrats and some Republicans who feared the vindictive show would damage their standing in society. moderate voters.

Local Trump loyalists who were ahead of the former president on the speaker list took the opportunity to air familiar grievances against some of Trump’s favorite targets. One unsuccessful Republican House candidate called Harris the “antichrist.”

He barely stood out.

The rally began with an attack by comedian and podcast host Tony Hinchcliffe, an attack on Puerto Rico – the city that is home to the largest population of Puerto Ricans on the American continent. There are also approximately 500,000 Puerto Ricans living on the Pennsylvania battlefield, where Harris campaigned on Sunday.

“There’s a lot going on. “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,” he said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

The line was well received by Trump supporters who packed the historic arena in midtown Manhattan. Trump recently began calling the United States “the world’s garbage can” when criticizing illegal immigrants.

“These Latinos love making babies too. Just know that it is true,” Hinchcliffe continued.

After the rally, the Trump campaign sought to distance itself from Hinchcliffe, who like the other speakers was an invited guest, and his comments about Puerto Rico.

“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez said in a statement to CNN.

However, Harris’ campaign had already capitalized on the comments about Puerto Rico, quickly cutting out the video and posting it on social media. Vice President on Sunday visited the Puerto Rican restaurant in North Philadelphia, where she discussed her vision for the island along with her plans to reduce costs and create opportunities for Puerto Rican communities on the mainland.

Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny, whose album “Un Verano Sin Ti” was the most streamed album in the world in 2023, published a video featuring Harris presenting her plan for Puerto Rico to her 45 million Instagram followers shortly after Hinchcliffe left the stage.

Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, whose re-election campaign depends on significant support from the state’s Puerto Rican community, joined the backlash, writing about the X “joke”: “It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans!”

Another Florida Republican, Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a close Trump ally, sharply criticized the remarks. “This is not a joke. It’s completely classless and in poor taste,” he said on X. “@TonyHinchcliffe is definitely not funny and definitely does not reflect my values or the values of the Republican Party.”

New York GOP Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who faces competitive re-election, also responded to the . Stay tuned.”

Hinchcliffe responded to the outrage on social media, saying his critics “have no sense of humor.”

“I love Puerto Rico and the holidays there. I made fun of everyone… watch the whole set,” he wrote.

Trump – who was introduced by former first lady Melania Trump in her first role speaking at a rally this cycle – largely stuck to the script in his own remarks, including his now common claim that his political rivals represent a treacherous “enemy within.”

“We are standing against the huge, dishonest and malicious leftist machine that runs the Democratic Party,” the former president said. “They are smart and cruel, they are the enemy within, we must defeat them.”

Another warm-up appearance, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, repeated his past attacks on Harris and the idea, as he described it, of Americans celebrating her possible election.

“It’s going to be hard to look (at the country after Harris’ victory) and say, you know what, Kamala Harris, she got 85 million votes because she’s so impressive – the first-ever Samoan, Malaysian, former prosecutor from California with a low IQ to be elected president.” Carlson said, before exclaiming that anyone unimpressed by Harris would be called a “freak” or a “criminal.”

Later, Republican politician David Rem took the microphone and, waving around a cross, called Harris “the devil.”

“She’s the antichrist,” Rem wailed before saying he planned to run for mayor.

Another speaker, radio host Sid Rosenberg, who once sat next to Don Imus on WFAN, the area’s largest sports station, began by attacking Clinton, the Democratic nominee eight years ago.

“That Hillary Clinton is one sick bastard, isn’t she?” – he said, referring to Trump’s previous remarks. “What a sick bastard.”

Rosenberg then focused on the migrants currently living in New York and his anger at the efforts of local authorities to keep them fed and housed.

“We have homeless people and veterans – Americans, Americans – sleeping on their own feces on a bench in Central Park,” Rosenberg said. “But these damn illegal people get whatever they want, right?”