Topline

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

Key facts

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In return for

Hinchcliffe responded to the criticism on social media, saying: “These people have no sense of humor,” adding: “I love Puerto Rico and vacationing there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian.”

Chief 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 GOP. Puerto Rico sent more than 48,000 soldiers to Vietnam, with more than 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This courage deserves respect. Educate yourself!” Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who is running for re-election, said the joke “bombarded for a reason,” tweeting: “It’s not funny and it’s not true.”

Surprising fact

Separately on Sunday, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny showed his support for Harris 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 Trump Madison Square Garden Rally speakers say?

Some 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 an idiot” and said “damn illegals… get what they want,” and businessman Grant Cardone depicted Harris as a metaphorical prostitute by saying that she and “her pimp handlers will destroy our country.” Former Fox host Tucker Carlson mocked Harris’ race, saying she could become “the first Samoan, low-IQ Malaysian former California prosecutor to ever become 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, voicing his regular criticism of 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 introduced a new policy that would give tax breaks to people who care for their relatives. And Trump continued his broader attacks on Democrats, saying this election is about more than defeating Harris, because they must defeat the “huge, cruel, crooked, radical left machine,” and repeating his controversial phrase “the enemy from within,” saying it describes “the other side,” which he says 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 wanted to hold a rally at the historic site. Although New York state and the city are historically Democratic strongholds, the former president – ​​a New York native – has previously said he thinks he could win New York for the first time since Ronald Reagan in 1984, because polls show him trailing Harris by a significant margin. margin. While Trump is campaigning in New York, Harris is campaigning in Philadelphia and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, is in Henderson, Nevada, near Las Vegas.

Tangent

Both parties view Latino voters as a crucial group this year, as several polls show Trump on track to win a larger share of Latino voters than in the 2016 or 2020 races — mostly men, younger voters and voters without a college degree. Harris still leads the group by a margin of 56%-37%, according to an early October poll, compared to President Joe Biden’s 65%-32% lead in 2020 exit polls.

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