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Donald Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, where he made controversial remarks overshadowed by accusations of racism.
A crowd of supporters cheered the Republican former president as he criticized his opponent Kamala Harris and promised economic restoration and stricter measures against illegal immigration.
However, there was widespread criticism from Trump’s opponents regarding comments made earlier in the rally by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage.”
The Harris campaign quickly circulated Hinchcliffe’s remarks on social media. Austin Davis, lieutenant-governor of Pennsylvania, condemned the comment, stating, “Calling Puerto Rico, home to 3 million American citizens, ‘garbage’ is not a joke. This is reflective of who Trump is. Pennsylvanians of all backgrounds are uniting to stop him and the racism he promotes.”
Other speakers at the rally included Trump’s wealthy supporters Elon Musk and Howard Lutnick, who portrayed him as a candidate of peace, prosperity, and freedom.
They criticized Harris as a dangerous liberal who had failed to address inflation or prevent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The crowd reacted negatively to mentions of Harris, as Trump vowed to fix the issues she had allegedly caused.
Supporters interrupted Trump with chants of “We want you” and “We love you,” with Trump even suggesting he could win the election by a large margin and turn New York, a traditionally Democratic state, Republican.
Trump’s speech focused on anti-immigrant themes, with repeated claims that illegal immigrants were responsible for crimes across the country. He accused the media of spreading lies and warned of potential cheating by Democrats in the upcoming election.
Property investor Grant Cardone claimed that Harris and her associates would ruin the country, while talk-show host Tucker Carlson made derogatory remarks about Harris’s ethnicity.
The rally at Madison Square Garden marked Trump’s return to the city just five months after being found guilty in a New York court over a hush money payment scandal.
Madison Square Garden, known as the world’s most famous arena, has hosted iconic figures such as Muhammad Ali, Pope John Paul II, and Frank Sinatra.
However, it has also been the venue for controversial political events, including the German American Bund’s 1939 pro-American rally, where Nazi symbols were displayed.
Speakers at the rally joked about comparisons to a Nazi rally, following accusations by Hillary Clinton that Trump was seeking to re-enact such events.
Screen displays at the arena labeled Harris as weak, failed, and dangerously liberal, with signs in the audience reading “Trump will fix it” and “Dream big again.”
The event also featured a rare speech by Melania Trump, the candidate’s wife.
Trump’s rally in Manhattan, a city where he received less than 38% of the vote in 2020, came at a time when candidates typically focus on swing states.
Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York who is facing legal issues over alleged election interference, stated, “This is where Republicans are not supposed to come, which is why Donald Trump came here.”
According to the Financial Times poll tracker, Trump and Harris are in a statistical tie, with Harris slightly ahead in national polls and Trump marginally leading in swing states.
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While Trump is not expected to win in New York, his campaign may aim to influence Republican candidates in close congressional races in the state.
Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, emphasized the importance of down-ballot races in New York, predicting that they could help expand the Republican majority in the lower chamber.
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