Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday opened with a series of vulgar attacks directed at Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, other Democratic leaders, Puerto Rico, and migrants in the city.
Many of the speakers at the event, consisting largely of Trump loyalists, seized the chance to air grievances against some of the former president’s favorite targets. One failed Republican House candidate went so far as to label Harris “the antichrist.”
The rally kicked off with comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who criticized Puerto Rico in a city with the largest Puerto Rican population on the U.S. mainland. He remarked, “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. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” Approximately 500,000 Puerto Ricans also reside in battleground Pennsylvania, where Harris campaigned on the same day.
The remark was met with enthusiasm from Trump supporters who filled Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan. Trump has recently been calling the U.S. “a garbage can for the world” as he criticizes undocumented immigrants.
“These Latinos, they love making babies, too. Just know that they do,” Hinchcliffe continued.
Harris’ campaign quickly responded to the attacks on Puerto Rico by sharing a clip of the video on social media. On Sunday, the vice president visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in North Philadelphia, where she outlined her vision for the island and discussed plans to lower costs and create opportunities for Puerto Rican communities on the mainland.
Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, whose album “Un Verano Sin Ti” was the most-streamed globally in 2023, shared a video of Harris detailing her plan for Puerto Rico with his 45 million Instagram followers shortly after Hinchcliffe’s remarks.
Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, whose reelection campaign relies on support from the Puerto Rican community, joined the criticism, posting on X, “It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans!”
In response to the backlash, Hinchcliffe defended himself on social media, stating that his critics “have no sense of humor.”
“I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone … watch the whole set,” he wrote.
He was followed by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who reiterated his previous attacks on Harris and the concept of Americans celebrating her potential election.
“It’s going to be tough to look at the country after Harris wins and say, ‘Kamala Harris got 85 million votes because she’s so impressive—as the first Samoan, Malaysian, low-IQ former California prosecutor ever to be elected president,’” Carlson stated. He went on to declare that anyone who isn’t impressed by Harris would be labeled a “freak” or a “criminal.”
Later, Republican politician David Rem took the stage, calling Harris “the devil” while brandishing a cross. “She is the antichrist,” Rem proclaimed, before announcing his intention to run for mayor.
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