NEW YORK CITY — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump headlined a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday that began with a series of vulgar and racist remarks by allies of the former president.
Trump, a New York celebrity for decades, hoped to use the event at the iconic venue known for Knicks basketball games and Billy Joel concerts to deliver his closing argument against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, even though the state last backed a Republican presidential candidate in 1984.
Trump spoke repeatedly about his plans to halt illegal immigration and deport migrants he described as “vicious and bloodthirsty criminals” if he wins the Nov. 5 election.
“On day one I will launch the largest deportation program in American history,” he said. “I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered.”
Trump called Harris a “very low IQ individual” and drew cheers from supporters for his tough-on-migrants rhetoric.
He vowed to ban sanctuary cities, which refuse to cooperate with the federal government in enforcing immigration laws, and to invoke the 1798 Alien Enemies Act law to deport immigrants with criminal records.
The event was a surreal spectacle that
And that was all before Trump was to take the stage, running more than two hours late.
A long list of opening speakers included former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, politicians including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Reps. Byron Donalds and Elise Stefanik, and an artist who painted a picture of Trump hugging the Empire State Building.
Some used racist and misogynistic language in warming up a capacity crowd.
Giuliani, a former personal lawyer to Trump, falsely claimed that Harris was “on the side of the terrorists” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Trump’s childhood friend David Rem referred to Harris as “the Antichrist” and “the devil.” Businessman Grant Cardone told the crowd that Harris ”and her pimp handlers will destroy our country.”
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe used crass language in joking that Latinos “love making babies” and called the Caribbean US territory of Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” His set also included lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people.
Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin posted a clip of the comments on his Instagram and wrote, in Spanish, “This is what they think of us.”
Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told Reuters that the joke about Puerto Rico “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Harris earlier on Sunday visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania. She posted a video on social media promising to “invest in Puerto Rico’s future” as president.
Harris’s campaign in an email said the Madison Square Garden rally was “mirroring the same dangerously divisive and demeaning message” as Trump.
Trump’s 2016 presidential opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, has accused him of “re-enacting” a pro-Nazi rally that was held at Madison Square Garden in 1939 on the eve of World War Two.
Trump’s critics have long accused him of empowering white supremacists with dehumanizing and racist rhetoric.
Trump rejected the comparison to the 1930s. “This is called Make America Great Again, that’s all this is,” he said on Friday.
“Today this is Donald Trump’s house,” wrestler Hulk Hogan said at the New York event on Sunday. He rejected accusations that Trump is a fascist: “I don’t see any Nazis in here.”
“Hey guys, they’re now scrambling and trying to call us Nazis and fascists,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, who draped a sparkly “MAGA” jacket over the lectern as she spoke. “And you know what they’re claiming, guys? It’s very scary. They’re claiming we’re going to go after them and try and put them in jail. Well, ain’t that rich?”
US billionaire Elon Musk, who is supporting Trump’s reelection bid with his X social media platform and enormous wealth , was greeted to the stage with chants of “Elon.”
“This is the kind of positive energy that America is all about,” Musk said.
Musk, who Trump has said he would tap to lead a new government efficiency commission, said the federal budget could be reduced by “at least” $2 trillion.
Discretionary spending, including defense spending, is estimated to total $1.9 trillion out of $6.75 trillion in total federal outlays for fiscal 2024, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Trump in his speech argued that Americans are worse off now than four years ago.
He announced a new policy to provide a tax credit for caregivers who take care of a parent or another family member.
Trump touted his foreign policy record during his 2017-21 presidency, and said he would not start wars in office, though he added that if the United States did have a war with China, “We would kick their ass.”
“I will stop the chaos in the Middle East and prevent World War III from happening,” Trump told the crowd.
He noted his support among Muslims, some of whom have embraced him for promising to end devastating wars in the Middle East being fought by Israel against the Hamas terror group in Gaza and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“They just want peace, they want to have peace, and it’s great,” he said of imams he met with in Michigan a day ago.
Polls show Harris and Trump neck and neck in the battleground states that will decide the next president with just over a week until Election Day. More than 38 million votes have already been cast across the country.
Trump has sought to tie Harris to the Biden administration’s handling of immigration and the economy. Last week, Trump debuted a new attack line: “She broke it, and I promise you I will fix it.”
The economy has outperformed the rest of the developed world since the COVID crisis, and stock markets hit record highs this year. But high prices of food, utilities and housing have roiled voters, who believe the economy is headed in the wrong direction.
Harris, who held a rally with Bruce Springsteen in Atlanta on Thursday and with Beyonce in Houston on Friday, will hold another high-profile event with a speech on Tuesday on the National Mall in Washington, where she will highlight the differences between herself and Trump.
“He is full of grievance. He is full of dark language that is about retribution and revenge,” Harris said of Trump in Philadelphia on Sunday.
Trump’s campaign said the event at the 19,500-seat Madison Square Garden, which can cost upwards of $1 million to rent, was sold out. Tickets were free and on a first-come-first-served basis, as was the case with Harris’ Houston rally.
The arena was full hours before Trump was scheduled to speak. Outside the arena, the sidewalks were overflowing with Trump supporters in red “Make America Great Again” hats. There was a heavy security presence. Streets were blocked off and access to Penn Station was restricted.
“It just goes to show ya that he has a bigger following of any man that has ever lived,” said Philip D’Agostino, a longtime Trump backer from Queens, the borough where Trump grew up.
A crowd of some 30,000 people attended Harris’ rally with Beyonce on Friday night in Houston, and about 20,000 attended the Atlanta rally.
“My internal polling is my instinct,” Harris said to reporters in Philadelphia when asked how the campaign is faring in its internal election projections. “The momentum is with us.”
Trump has a complicated history with New York, the place where he built his business empire and that made him a tabloid and reality TV star. Its residents indicted him last year on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He was found guilty in that case, and also found liable in civil court for business fraud and sexual abuse.
But Trump has been talking about wanting to hold a rally at the venue dubbed “The World’s Most Famous Arena” since he launched his campaign.
The rally was one of a number of detours Trump has made from battleground states, including a recent rally in Coachella, California, and rallies on the Jersey Shore and in the South Bronx.
While some have dismissed the stops as nothing more than vanity events aimed at boosting Trump’s ego, the rallies guaranteed Trump national coverage that could help him reach the country’s few remaining undecided voters, many of whom don’t get their news from traditional outlets.
New York has not voted for a Republican for president in 40 years. But that hasn’t stopped Trump from continuing to insist he believes he can win. New York is also home to a handful of competitive congressional races that could determine which party controls the House next year.
Trump routinely uses his hometown as a foil before audiences in other states, painting a dark vision of the city that bears little resemblance to reality. He’s cast it as crime-ridden and overrun by violent, immigrant gangs who have taken over Fifth and Madison avenues and occupied Times Square.
On Sunday, however, Trump was much more complimentary of the city. He said “no city embodies the spirit” and energy of the American people more and talked about attending basketball and hockey games at the Garden.
After Trump concluded his speech after over an hour, opera singer Christopher Macchio came on stage to perform the song “New York, New York.”
The former president smiled and swayed slightly, his wife standing next to him on stage.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.