Republican candidate Donald Trump led a fiery New York rally on Sunday, October 27. At Madison Square Garden, the former Republican president categorically diminished the Democratic stance on the future of the US. Trump, with the support of 20,000 Republicans, chanted in unison, “America is for Americans and Americans only.”
Trump’s lineup of loyalists labeled Harris “the antichrist” in a slew of racist and vulgar attacks on the Democrat’s presidential campaign. The New York rally kicked off with comedian and podcast host Tony Hinchcliffe criticizing Puerto Rico, in a city that boasts the largest Puerto Rican population on the US mainland. Additionally, around 500,000 Puerto Ricans reside in battleground Pennsylvania, where Harris campaigned on Sunday.
“There’s a lot going on, like, I don’t know if you know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” he said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” said Hinchcliffe to the Republican crowd. Trump echoed similar sentiments towards the sudden influx of immigrants in the US during Biden’s term, describing the US as “a garbage can for the world” during his recent public appearances.
These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his “busy schedule” to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a… https://t.co/VFxHRcdv5k
— Tony Hinchcliffe (@TonyHinchcliffe) October 27, 2024
However, all sweeping statements must be received in jest. Trump campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez clarified that “this joke [Hinchcliffe criticizing Puerto Rico] does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” in a statement to CNN. Several Republicans also chimed in to clear the Republican stance on Puerto Rico, with Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida taking to X to reinforce that the statement was indeed a “joke.”
A statue of José Martí was found vandalized in Miami, prompting response from U.S. Rep. Carlos A. Giménez: “I fully condemn the pathetic, hateful attack against our Cuban exile community in Miami.” https://t.co/gJKK3BhQ3z
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) October 25, 2024
During the rally, Trump doubled down on the Republican mission to beat the “enemy within.” The former president said, “We’re running against a massive, crooked, malicious leftist machine that’s running the Democrat Party.” They are smart and vicious, the enemy within; we must defeat them.” In a warm act, Fox News host Tucker Carlson reiterated his previous criticisms of Harris and the notion, as he framed it, of Americans celebrating her potential election.
“It’s going to be pretty hard to look at (the country after Harris wins) and say, you know what, Kamala Harris, she got 85 million votes because she’s so impressive—as the first Samoan, Malaysian, low-IQ former California prosecutor ever to be elected president,” said Carlson, before exclaiming that anyone who is not impressed by Harris will be called a “freak” or a “criminal.”
On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris is gearing up to host a symbolic rally in Washington near the White House, in the park where Trump rallied his supporters before they stormed the US Capitol to overturn the 2020 election results.
