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Jimmy Williams
In a packed rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, former President Donald Trump launched what his campaign billed as the beginning of his “closing argument” just nine days before Election Day. Although Trump’s remarks focused on his core issues, including immigration and the economy, inflammatory statements from several warm-up speakers took center stage and stirred swift condemnation from within the GOP.
Trump’s address, which extended over an hour, was a spectacle he had long wanted to hold in his hometown of New York City. “This is unbelievable. I’ve watched the Knicks and Rangers here,” he said, referring to two of the city’s storied professional sports teams. “There’s no place like Madison Square Garden.”
The prelude to Trump’s speech, however, ignited controversy. Grant Cardone, a conservative influencer, made inflammatory comments about Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her “a vessel” for what he claimed was “the enemy from within” and showing his middle finger to the camera as he urged voters to deliver a “landslide” win for Trump. “We need to slaughter these other people,” Cardone said, while adding that a Trump victory would send a message to “the elites.”
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s opening routine included a series of offensive jokes about Latinos, Puerto Rico, and Black Americans. His set, which included references to Latinos as “baby-makers” and Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage,” was quickly condemned by GOP leaders. Representative María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., expressed disgust, calling the comments about Puerto Rico “racist” and unrepresentative of GOP values. Senator Rick Scott, R-Fla., said the jokes were “not funny” and “not true,” while Representative Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., asserted, “The only thing that’s ‘garbage’ was a bad comedy set. Stay on message.”
Seeking to distance itself from the remarks, Trump’s campaign released a statement saying, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Trump’s remarks largely echoed his campaign themes, from calling the mainstream media “the enemy of the people” to targeting Harris, whom he described as having a “low IQ.” He further warned against what he characterized as “the enemy from within,” an amorphous group he argued is undermining America from inside its borders. “They’ve done very bad things to this country,” he said. “They are indeed the enemy from within.”
The rally drew several notable speakers, including businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who suggested New York could be a swing state this cycle despite President Biden’s decisive victory in 2020. Trump also hinted at potential cabinet roles in a future administration for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a recent Trump endorser.
The rally at MSG fulfilled a long-time wish for Trump to campaign at one of New York’s most iconic venues. However, with some attendees and speakers straying into divisive rhetoric, Trump’s remarks were ultimately overshadowed by the controversy surrounding his supporters’ remarks and the backlash they received.
