“Continuing to stoke the fears, play on the anger, and just flat out lie over and over and over again”
Donald Trump’s speech at Madison Square Garden was – according to his campaign – set to be his “closing argument” and reflect his “confidence about the state of the race.”
Instead of that, the event was roundly slammed for being an offensive, dark, and dangerous spectacle.
These are not the headlines you want a week out from the election:
New York Daily News: Trump’s MSG event turns into ugly racist rally, speakers insult Puerto Ricans, Blacks, Jews
New York Times: A Trump Rally Speaker Trashed Puerto Ricans. Harris Reached Out to Them
AP: Trump’s Madison Square Garden event features crude and racist insults
Washington Post: Trump rally speakers invoke racist tropes in denouncing Harris; Vance defends Trump’s ‘enemies within’ comments
Wall Street Journal: Several Speakers Take Dark Tone at Trump’s MSG Rally
NBC News: As Trump courts their vote, comedian at his rally makes racist jokes about Latinos and Puerto Rico
CNN: Trump rally speakers hurl insults, including racist comments, at Harris, Hillary Clinton and illegal immigrants
ABC News: Trump rally comic who disparaged Puerto Rico faces backlash
Axios: MAGA speakers unleash ugly rhetoric at Trump’s MSG rally
Huffington Post: Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe Performs Wildly Racist Set At Trump Rally In New York City
Politico: Speakers at Trump MSG rally insult Dems, minorities
USA Today: Trump-supporting comedian opens rally by calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating pile of garbage’
Forbes: Trump Rally Speaker Calls Puerto Rico ‘Floating Island Of Garbage’—Campaign Says Joke Doesn’t Reflect Trump’s Views
Rolling Stone: Extremely Racist ‘Comedian’ Speaks at Trump Rally, Calls Puerto Rico ‘Garbage’
These are not the reactions you want a week out from the election:
On CNN’s Newsroom, Congressman Jamie Raskin: “I think it will backfire… It’s just an absolute scandal and it makes everybody that much more determined to deliver a massive historic repudiation of this kind of politics in a week’s time.
On CNN’s Newsroom, Pamela Brown: “We are hearing scores of lies from the former president…Before he even took the stage, the rhetoric that we were hearing coming out of Madison Square Garden that some of the speakers called Vice President Harris, the antichrist, the devil. They railed against effing illegals. They said Puerto Rico, which of course is a U.S. territory, was a floating island of garbage.”
On CNN’s Newsroom, Priscilla Alvarez: “…rallies like tonight and the former president’s rhetoric tonight play into what the Vice President and her campaign has been saying, that he is consumed by his own troubles or issues with, for example, some of his former officials, be it John Kelly who called him a fascist.”
On CNN’s Newsroom, Pamela Brown: “…we are taking live pictures right now from Madison Square Garden that appear to show some people leaving their seats.”
On CNN’s Newsroom, Dana Bash: “…Donald Trump has always wanted to quote, unquote, play Madison Square Garden. That’s what he’s doing right now. But he’s doing it as somebody who is continuing to stoke the fears, play on the anger, and just flat out lie.”
On MSNBC’s Ayman, Rick Wilson: “This is a low for American politics, but I’m hopeful that as America watches this, they are as repulsed as most right-thinking people would be.”
On MSNBC’s Ayman, Ameshia Cross: “That man got up there and is not talking about the economy. He is up there talking about an America that does not have diversity, an America where people of color are treated as vermin, he sees them as vermin, how sickening it is to see people of color in this country. That is not who we are.”
On CNN’s Newsroom, Maria Cardona: “I think a rally like today is an in-kind contribution to the Kamala Harris Tim Walz campaign.”
Sen. Rick Scott: This joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans! I’ve been to the island many times. It’s a beautiful place. Everyone should visit! I will always do whatever I can to help any Puerto Rican in Florida or on the island.
Sen. Alex Padilla: MAGA Republicans can’t mask their contempt for Latino communities even when they’re courting their vote.
Sen. John Fetterman: Pennsylvania is home to almost half a million Puerto Ricans and nearly 3/4 are able to vote.
They’re crucial to our commonwealth—not a punchline for a desperate joke.
While Trump + his allies won’t stop degrading and belittling, know Kamala Harris is fighting for everyone.
Fmr. Sen. Claire McCaskill: Seriously. Is America ok with what is being said at this Trump rally? So bad. Just gross. So much for inspiring and uplifting leadership. More like nasty and vulgar.
Fmr, Sen, Barbara Boxer: October surprise? The despicable humiliation of the Hispanic and Latino communities at Trump’s nazi rally. Shocking. Disgusting.
Let’s all come together and reject MAGA bigotry. #VoteBlue
Rep. María Elvira Salazar: Disgusted by @TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’
This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values.
Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Educate yourself!
Rep. Carlos Gimenez: This is not a joke. It’s completely classless & in poor taste.
Puerto Rico is the crown jewel of the Caribbean & home to many of the most patriotic Americans I know.
@TonyHinchcliffe clearly isn’t funny & definitely doesn’t reflect my values or those of the Republican Party.
Leader Hakeem Jeffries: There is no bottom for Donald Trump.
MAGA extremists at the MSG rally have called VP Harris “the Devil” and “the Antichrist” while likening her to a prostitute. Republicans must abandon the base and irresponsible rhetoric that endangers both American lives and institutions.
Rep. Eric Swalwell: Trump’s MAGA Square Garden rally is making Hitler’s rally there look like a basket weaving convention.
Rep. Ritchie Torres: Tony Hinchcliffe, who is one of the speakers at Donald Trump’s rally at MSG, felt the need to hurl a racist insult at the people of Puerto Rico: “there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
As a Puerto Rican, I am tempted to call Hinchcliffe racist garbage but doing so would be an insult to garbage. When casting their ballots at the voting booth, Latinos should never forget the racism that Donald Trump seems all too willing to platform.
Rep. Jake Auchincloss: The individuals spewing this racist, anti-American garbage tonight aren’t performers, they’re advisers. They’re Trump’s next Cabinet.
Olivia Troye: The vile comments about migrants, Latinos & Puerto Rico said with brazen arrogance are what Trump & his inner circle have said for years. This NYC Trump rally was calculated—dark & full of nativism, with one goal: to inspire hate & violence across his base as he fears losing.
Brett Meiselas: Trump’s MSG rally is sending shockwaves through the Puerto Rican community right now. It can’t be overstated what a major miscalculation this was. Big Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania, Florida, and a lot of Puerto Ricans in Wisconsin too. Those clips are spreading like wildfire.
Edward-Isaac Dovere: The Trump rally comedian’s Puerto Rico is “literally a floating island of garbage” line has been getting the most attention, but there was also the line where he says he sees “a Black guy” in the crowd and says, “We carved watermelons together.”
Juliette Kayyam: I’m convinced today’s rally was to create the stolen election narrative and not to win an election. Those speeches were too consistently racist to think otherwise. Their racism will not go away by whining. It goes away by winning. Losers can’t maintain a movement forever.
Mehdi Hasan: This may be one of the scariest things I’ve ever heard Trump say and that’s saying a lot.
RFK would be a disaster for children’s health and food safety and vaccines and more. Check out his wild remarks on 5G and Bill Gates chips, and WiFi causing cancer, and more.
Kate Sullivan: Speakers at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden have so far called Harris “the antichrist” and “the devil,” called Hillary Clinton “a sick son of a bitch,” railed against “fucking illegals,” and referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
Cristina Corujo: Chairman of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico Ángel Cintrón calls comedian Tony Hinchcliffe comments on Puerto Rico “unfortunate, ignorant and entirely reprehensible.”
Hinchcliffe’s called the island a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.”
Michelle Price: Donald Trump hosted a rally featuring crude and racist insults at Madison Square Garden, turning what his campaign had advertised as the event where he would deliver his closing message into an illustration of what turns off his critics.
Molly Jong-Fast: This MSG trump rally is getting Harris a lot of endorsements.
Ahmed Baba: Trump just played a video trying to fear-monger about “migrant crime,” in spite of the fact undocumented immigrants commit crimes at significantly lower rates than native-born citizens.
The crowd then chanted “Send Them Back!” They’re almost inviting the 1939 rally comparisons.
Marty Taylor: The Trump rally in New York today is everything we expected it to be. Hateful. Xenophobic , Racist, Insulting, Sexist and very much Anti American. There has been no single group that the parade of MAGA’s and bankrupt indicted criminals like Rudy Giuliani has not insulted ( Well except for straight white wealthy men). It is almost like Trump is trying to lose this election. And after today that is much more of a certainty than it was before this debacle of hate in New York City.
José Andres: This is what @realDonaldTrump and his people believe about Latinos and Puertoricans…and Haitians and Mexicans and actually about anyone that is not like them…..@KamalaHarris @TeamKamala will support Latinos and will work hard to be a President for all Americans! @Vegalteno pass it on…?
Vivian Salama: Trump once again refers to the “enemy from within” at his MSG rally and contrary to what some of his allies have claimed, he is explicit in saying he considers Democrats and the “radical left machine” in this category.
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Paid for by Harris for President. Excerpts as taken from
Harris for President
(press@press.kamalaharris.com)
