Topline

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, one of former President Donald Trump's opening speakers at his Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday, called Puerto Rico “a floating island of trash,” a joke that immediately drew criticism from Democrats and two Florida Republicans – and led Trump's campaign to distance himself.

Important facts

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Cons

Hinchcliffe responded to the criticism on social media by saying: “These people have no sense of humor” and added: “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there.” I made fun of everyone… look at this whole set. I’m a comedian.”

Main critic

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., said in a statement on X that she was “disgusted” by Hinchcliffe’s “racist comment.” She continued: “This rhetoric does not reflect the values ​​of the Republican Party. Puerto Rico sent more than 48,000 soldiers to Vietnam, awarding over 345 Purple Hearts. This courage deserves respect. Educate yourself!” Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, who is running for re-election, said the joke “failed for a reason,” tweeting, “It’s not funny and it’s not true.”

Surprising fact

Separately, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny showed his support for Harris on Sunday by posting a series of videos on Instagram in which Harris criticized Trump's response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

What did the other speakers at the Trump Madison Square Garden rally say?

Several other speakers at Trump's rally also made questionable comments. Trump's childhood friend David Rem called Harris “the Antichrist,” radio host Sid Rosenberg called Hillary Clinton “a sick son of idiots” and said, “Damn illegals…get what they want,” and businessman Grant Cardone introduced Harris as metaphorical prostitutes, saying she and her pimps were destroying our country. Former Fox host Tucker Carlson mocked Harris' race and said she could become “the first Samoan, Malaysian, low-IQ former California prosecutor ever elected president” (Harris' parents were from India and Jamaica). .

What did Trump say in his speech at Madison Square Garden?

Trump covered many of his usual rally topics, regularly criticizing Harris over the Biden administration's border and immigration policies and saying he would “end inflation” and “bring back the American dream.” The former president briefly unveiled a new policy that would provide tax credits to people who care for their family members. And Trump continued his broader attacks on Democrats, saying this election is about more than just beating Harris because they must defeat the “massive, vicious, crooked, radical left machine,” repeating his controversial Phrase “the enemy from within”. it describes “the other side,” which he claims has “done very bad things to this country.”

Important background

With just nine days until the election, Trump took his campaign to Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday. CNN reported that the rally is also expected to be one of Trump's largest fundraisers to date and Trump has long had a desire to hold a rally at the historic venue. Although New York state and the city are historically Democratic strongholds, the former president – a native New Yorker – has previously said he believes he could win New York for the first time since Ronald Reagan in 1984, since According to polls, he is well behind Harris by a margin. While Trump is campaigning in New York, Harris is campaigning in Philadelphia and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is in Henderson, Nevada, near Las Vegas.

tangent

Both parties view Latino voters as a crucial group this year, as multiple polls show Trump is on track to win a larger share of Latinos than in the 2016 or 2020 elections – particularly men, younger voters and voters without a university degree. According to a poll from early October, Harris still leads the group by a 56% to 37% lead, compared to President Joe Biden, who had a 65% to 32% lead in 2020 exit polls.

Further reading

CNNTrump returns to 'epicenter of it all' for Madison Square Garden rally | CNN PoliticsNytimesTrump gathers at Madison Square Garden: election live updates