By james art - Trump claims that Americans are worse off under the Biden-Harris administration
- Warm-up speakers use racist and misogynistic language at the rally
- Harris visited the neighborhoods of Philadelphia
- Hillary Clinton likened Trump’s rally to a pro-Nazi event from 1939
NEW YORK, Oct 27 (Reuters) – Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump headlined a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday that began with a series of vulgar and racist remarks from allies of the former president.
Trump, a New York celebrity for decades, had hoped to use the event at the iconic venue known for Knicks basketball games and Billy Joel concerts to make his closing argument against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, even though the state last endorsed a Republican candidate. for president in 1984.
Trump has repeatedly talked about his plans to end illegal immigration and deport migrants he has described as “evil and bloodthirsty criminals” if he wins the Nov. 5 election.
“On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history,” he said. “I will save every city that has been attacked and conquered.”
Trump called Harris a “very low IQ individual” and drew cheers from supporters for his tough rhetoric on migrants.
He has vowed to ban sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with the federal government in enforcing immigration laws and invoke the Alien Enemy Act of 1798 to deport immigrants with criminal records.
A long list of commencement speakers ranged widely from former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan to former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani to Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr.
Some used racist and misogynistic language to incite the crowd.
Giuliani, Trump’s former personal attorney, falsely claimed that Harris was “on the side of the terrorists” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe used crude language, joking that Latinos “like to make babies” and calling the Caribbean US territory of Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage”.
Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin posted a clip of the comments on his Instagram and wrote in Spanish, “This is what they think of us.”
Daniel Alvarez, a senior Trump campaign adviser, told Reuters the joke about Puerto Rico “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
While Puerto Ricans are US citizens, residents of the island cannot vote in US general elections.
However, millions of Puerto Ricans who have moved to the mainland United States can vote, and there is a large community in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Harris earlier on Sunday visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest city. She posted a video on social media pledging to “invest in the future of Puerto Rico” as president.
The Harris campaign said in an email that the Madison Square Garden rally “reflects the same dangerously divisive and demeaning message” as Trump.
Trump’s 2016 presidential opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, accused him of “reproducing” a pro-Nazi rally that took place at Madison Square Garden in 1939 on the eve of World War II.
Point 1 of 21 Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Madison Square Garden, New York, U.S., October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
[1/21]Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Madison Square Garden, New York, U.S., October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Purchase Licensing rights
Trump’s critics have long accused him of empowering white supremacists with dehumanizing and racist rhetoric.
Trump rejected the 1930s comparison. “It’s called Making America Great Again, that’s all,” he said Friday.
“This is Donald Trump’s house today,” wrestler Hulk Hogan said at the event in New York on Sunday. He rejected accusations that Trump is a fascist: “I don’t see any Nazis here.”
American billionaire Elon Musk, who is backing Trump’s re-election bid with his social media platform X and vast wealth, was greeted on stage with chants of “Elon”.
“This is the type of positive energy that America represents,” Musk said.
Musk, whom Trump said he would pick to lead a new government efficiency commission, said the federal budget could be cut by “at least” $2 trillion.
Discretionary spending, including defense spending, is estimated to total $1.9 trillion of the $6.75 trillion in total federal spending for fiscal year 2024, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Trump claimed in his speech that Americans are worse off now than they were four years ago.
It announced a new policy to provide a tax credit for carers looking after a parent or other family member.
Trump touted his foreign policy during his 2017-21 presidency and said he would not start wars in office, although he added that if the United States did have a war with China, “we’ll kick their ass.”
Polls show Harris and Trump neck and neck in battleground states that will decide the next president with just over a week until Election Day. More than 38 million votes have already been cast across the country.
Trump tried to tie Harris to the Biden administration’s handling of immigration and the economy. Last week, Trump debuted a new attack: “She broke it and I promise you I’m going to fix it.”
The economy has outperformed the rest of the developed world since the COVID crisis and stock markets have hit record highs this year. But high food, utility and housing prices have rattled voters who believe the economy is headed in the wrong direction.
Harris, who held a rally with Bruce Springsteen in Atlanta on Thursday and with Beyoncé in Houston on Friday, will hold another high-profile event with a speech on Tuesday on the National Mall in Washington where she will highlight the differences between herself and Trump.
“He is full of complaints. It’s full of dark language that’s about retribution and revenge,” Harris said of Trump in Philadelphia on Sunday.
The Trump campaign said the 19,500-seat event at Madison Square Garden, which can cost more than $1 million to rent, is sold out. Tickets are free and on a first-come, first-served basis, as was the case for Harris’ rally in Houston.
A crowd of about 30,000 people attended Harris’ rally with Beyoncé on Friday night in Houston, and about 20,000 attended the rally in Atlanta.
“My internal research is my gut,” Harris told reporters in Philadelphia when asked how the campaign was doing according to internal poll projections. “Momentum is with us”
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Reporting by Steve Holland and James Oliphant in New York and Jeff Mason in Philadelphia; Written by Simon Lewis; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Heather Timmons, Caitlin Webber, Andrea Ritchie, Lisa Shoemaker, Bill Berkrot, Diane Craft and Michael Perry
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
