Republican presidential candidate and former US President Trump speaks at a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, the United States, on October 27, 2024.
Andrew Kelly | Reuters
republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Allies of the former president made a series of vulgar and racist comments during a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
Trump, who has been a celebrity in New York for decades, hopes to use the event at the iconic venue known for Knicks basketball games and Billy Joel concerts to express his support for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris closing argument, even though the state last supported a Republican presidential candidate in 1984.
Trump has repeatedly spoken of plans to halt illegal immigration and deport immigrants he calls “vicious and bloodthirsty criminals” if he wins the Nov. 5 election.
“On day one I will launch the largest deportation program in American history,” he said. “I will save every city and town that is invaded and conquered.”
Trump called Harris a “very low IQ person” and won cheers from supporters for her tough rhetoric on immigration.
He has vowed to ban sanctuary cities from refusing to cooperate with the federal government in enforcing immigration laws and invoking the Enemy Alien Act of 1798 to deport immigrants with criminal records.
The long list of opening speakers varied from former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr.
Some used racist and misogynistic language to warm the crowd.
Trump’s former personal attorney Giuliani falsely claimed Harris was “siding with terrorists” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe used crude language to joke that Latinos “love having babies” and called the U.S. Caribbean territory of Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”
Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin posted a clip of the comments on his Instagram, writing in Spanish: “This is what they think of us.”
Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told Reuters that the joke about Puerto Rico “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Although Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, residents of the island cannot vote in U.S. elections.
However, millions of Puerto Ricans who have immigrated to the U.S. mainland can vote, and there is a large community in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Harris visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest city, earlier Sunday. She posted a video on social media pledging to “invest in Puerto Rico’s future” as president.
Harris’ campaign said in an email that the Madison Square Garden rally “reflects the same dangerously divisive and insulting message” as Trump’s.
Trump’s 2016 presidential opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, accused him of “reenacting” a 1939 pro-Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden on the eve of World War II.
Trump’s critics have long accused him of empowering white supremacists with dehumanizing and racist rhetoric.
Trump rejects comparisons to the 1930s. “This is called ‘Make America Great Again,’ and that’s it,” he said Friday.
“This is Donald Trump’s house today,” wrestler Hulk Hogan said at an event in New York on Sunday. He rejected accusations that Trump was a fascist: “I don’t see any Nazis here.”
American billionaire Elon Musk used his X social media platform and huge wealth to support Trump’s re-election campaign, welcoming him to power with slogans of “Elon”.
“This is the positive energy of America,” Musk said.
Trump said he would appoint Musk to lead a new Council on Government Efficiency, and he said the federal budget could be reduced by “at least” $2 trillion.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, total federal spending in fiscal year 2024 is $6.75 trillion, of which discretionary spending, including defense spending, is expected to reach $1.9 trillion.
Trump said in his speech that Americans are worse off now than they were four years ago.
He announced a new policy that provides tax credits for caregivers who care for parents or other family members.
Trump touted his foreign policy record during his 2017-21 presidency and said he would not start a war while in office, although he added that if the United States did go to war with China, “we would kick their ass.”
Polls show Harris and Trump neck and neck battlefield states We are just over a week away from Election Day, which will determine the next president. More than 38 million votes have been cast across the country.
Trump sought to tie Harris to the Biden administration’s handling of immigration and the economy. Last week, Trump first offered a new line of attack: “She broke it and I promise you I’m going to fix it.”
China’s economy has outperformed other developed countries since the COVID-19 crisis, with its stock market hitting record highs this year. But high prices for food, utilities and housing have unsettled voters who believe the economy is heading in the wrong direction.
Harris, who held rallies with Bruce Springsteen in Atlanta on Thursday and Beyoncé in Houston on Friday, will hold another high-profile event on the National Mall in Washington on Tuesday with a speech highlighting her The difference between myself and Trump.
“He’s filled with resentment. He’s filled with dark language about revenge and revenge,” Harris said of Trump in Philadelphia on Sunday.
The Trump campaign said the event at the 19,500-seat Madison Square Garden, which could cost up to $1 million to rent, was sold out. Tickets are free and on a first-come, first-served basis, just like Harris’ rally in Houston.
About 30,000 people attended a rally between Harris and Beyoncé in Houston on Friday night, and about 20,000 attended a rally in Atlanta.
“My internal polling is my gut feeling,” Harris told reporters in Philadelphia when asked about the progress of her campaign’s internal election projections. “The momentum is with us.”
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