Republican president nominee Donald Trump put on a splashy rally at New York’s hallmark Madison Square Garden, but repeated insults and at times racist and misogynistic remarks from guest speakers threatened to grab the most attention.
Donald Trump put on a splashy rally in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday to kick off the final full week of campaigning for president, complete with celebrity guests and a new economic proposal.
But repeated insults and at times racist and misogynistic remarks from guest speakers threatened to grab the most attention.
The final weeks of a campaign are often when candidates put forth a unifying message to gather as many voters as possible. Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally was instead marked by swear words, racist jokes about Latinos, and misogynistic remarks.
The focus could help Trump grab headlines and mobilize some existing supporters, though it’s unlikely to bring in new voters who are already turned off by some of the Republican presidential candidate’s rhetoric.
The first speaker at the former president’s Madison Square Garden rally, roast comedian and podcast host Tony Hinchcliffe, set the tone with a disparaging joke about welcoming Latinos into the U.S. “with open arms” while making a shooing motion.
He also disparaged Latinos with a crass joke about making babies and illegal immigration, quipped that Puerto Rico is “a floating island of garbage,” and joked that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce “might be the next O.J. Simpson,” referring to the football star who was accused and later acquitted of murdering his ex-wife.
Kelce is in a relationship with pop singer Taylor Swift, who earlier this year said she would vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump has made anti-immigrant rhetoric a centerpiece of his campaign. As president, he also talked about ending the automatic right to citizenship for babies born in the U.S. to noncitizens —though many scholars agree changing the law could require a constitutional amendment.
