Donald Trump‘s rally today at Madison Square Garden was marked by an opening lineup of speakers who joked about Puerto Rico being a “floating pile of garbage,” ranted about “f—ing illegals” and declared that Kamala Harris was the “antichrist.”
The extreme rhetoric is often a feature at Trump events, but in a neck-and-neck presidential race, when campaigns have traditionally tried to display messages of unity in the final days before an election, the rally stoked racial division and highlighted stereotypes.
Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian, said of Latinos: “they love making babies. They do. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country.”
He also said, “There is literally a floating pile of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” He also joked about Black people carving watermelons for Halloween.
Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate who was participating in an event with Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in which they played Madden on Twitch, called Hinchcliffe a “jackwad.”
Other speakers at the Trump event were not trying for humor. David Rem, introduced as Trump’s lifelong friend, waved a crucifix and called Harris the “devil” and the “antichrist.”
Another speaker, Sid Rosenberg, said that the “f—ing illegals” get “whatever they want.” He also called Hillary Clinton a “sick son of a bitch” and the “whole f—ing party” as a “bunch of degenerates.”
Other speakers on the bill included Robert Kennedy Jr., Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk and Stephen Miller.
