 "Trump's campaign faces backlash for racist jokes, anti-immigration push")
With the United States Presidential elections less than 10 days away, Donald Trump’s rally at New York's Madison Square Garden on Sunday night sparked backlash due to racist and misogynistic comments made by him and some guest speakers, according to media reports.
On the electoral front, this has raised concerns about the implications for Latino voters, particularly Puerto Ricans, who represent a crucial voting bloc in swing states.
What happened at Trump's New York rally?
During the rally, Trump reiterated his claims of combating what he termed “the enemy within” and promised the largest deportation programme in American history.
“We’re just not running against Kamala. I think a lot of our politicians here tonight know this. She means nothing, she’s purely a vessel that’s all she is... We’re running against something far bigger than Joe or Kamala and far more powerful than them, which is a massive, vicious radical-left machine that runs today’s Democrat party. They’re just vessels,” Trump said.
His speech also featured a series of random anecdotes, including one about interrupting an important phone call to watch an Elon Musk rocket landing.
He continued his rhetoric around immigration, alleging that a “savage Venezuelan prison gang” had taken control of Times Square, despite police data showing a decline in crime in the city.
“Once I take office, the migrant invasion of our country ends and the restoration of our country begins,” Trump said at the rally.
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Tim Walz compares Trump's rally to Nazi gathering
Kamala Harris’ running mate compared Trump's Sunday rally to a Nazi gathering held in the same venue in 1939 that lured more than 20,000 supporters.
“Donald Trump’s got this big rally going at Madison Square Garden... There’s a direct parallel to a big rally that happened in the mid-1930s at Madison Square Garden,” Walz said at an event in Henderson, Nevada.
“And don’t think that he doesn’t know for one second exactly what they’re doing there,” he added.
Puerto Rico- an ‘island full of garbage’: Comedian at Trump rally
The rally was further marred by racist and derogatory “jokes” made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe targeted towards Puerto Ricans. Hinchcliffe, known for his history of making offensive jokes, referred to Puerto Rico as an “island of garbage.” He has also previously referred to Harris as "the antichrist" and even called Hillary Clinton “a sick b@stard”.
Hinchcliffe did not stop there, he went on to make comments regarding Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, NFL player Travis Kelce. He made a joke linking Kelce to O J Simpson, the former football star who was famously acquitted of murder charges in the 1990s. Hinchcliffe’s comment implied that Kelce might share a similar fate, especially in light of his high-profile relationship with Swift, who has publicly expressed her support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
This led to widespread condemnation from civil rights groups and Latino artists, including influential figures like Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, and Ricky Martin. These celebrities reshared Harris' campaign video on their social media in response to Hinchcliffe's “joke”.
In response to the backlash over both sets of remarks, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, Danielle Alvarez, said, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Hinchcliffe's remarks, however, could influence Latino voter sentiment in key swing states like Pennsylvania, where a significant portion of eligible voters are of Puerto Rican descent. Both the Trump and Harris campaigns have strived to engage Latino voters in the final stretch of the election.
New York full of ‘illegal aliens’: Trump
Trump painted a grim picture of his hometown, describing it as a crime-ridden landscape plagued by drugs, gangs, and what he called an influx of “illegal aliens” occupying luxury apartments while veterans are left homeless.
Despite official reports indicating a decline in crime rates, Trump said, “Your crime is through the roof. Everything is through the roof.”
His portrayal of the city reflects a broader narrative that frames the Democratic Party as weak on crime and immigration.
His frustration with New York may also extend from the many legal battles he currently faces in the state. The former president has been found liable in various cases, including those against his business, the Trump Organisation, for tax fraud, and himself for sexual abuse.
During his speech, Trump claimed that President Biden’s administration is responsible for what he labelled an influx of “really rough people” into the city, reinforcing his platform’s focus on anti-immigrant policies. Trump reiterated his stance on ending automatic citizenship for children born to noncitizens in the US, a proposal that would likely require a constitutional amendment—a significant legal hurdle given that citizenship by birthright is enshrined in the Fourteenth Amendment.
Trump had earlier presented a new policy initiative that he claimed would provide financial relief to families, announcing a proposed tax credit for those caring for family members at home. He framed this policy as a measure to support family units amid what he describes as the “invasion” of migrants into the country. However, his rhetoric at Sunday's rally remained focused on undocumented immigrants.
Harris and Trump in neck-and-neck contest
US national polls show both candidates neck-and-neck at around 48 per cent. US media reports claim that the gender gap could reach historic levels, reflecting a deep divide in this year’s race.
The rally on Sunday marked Trump's third rally in New York state, despite New York being a Democratic stronghold. Harris is shown to be leading by 15 points according to FiveThirtyEight, and up 18 percentage points in other polls.
Early voting figures suggest over 41 million Americans have already cast their ballots. President Joe Biden is expected to cast his ballot today in Delaware.
In contrast to Trump campaign, Harris has focused on its outreach, especially to women impacted by strict abortion laws. Harris was in Pennsylvania last week and will rally in Michigan today.