Backlash over racist and vulgar remarks erupts following Trump's New York homecoming
A comedian known for his pro-Trump stance faced significant backlash after delivering a racist diatribe that provoked widespread condemnation.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden, promoted as a grand homecoming, devolved into a political debacle on Sunday night, as the opening act, a pro-Trump comedian, unleashed a racist tirade that ignited widespread outrage, including from notable Republicans.
Scheduled just over a week before Election Day, the rally aimed to provide Trump a platform for his closing argument but instead faced backlash due to its racial slurs and offensive language.
Tony Hinchcliffe, the first speaker of the evening and host of the “Kill Tony” podcast, started the event with inflammatory comments about Latinos and African Americans. He remarked, “Latinos love making babies. There’s no pulling out. They come inside, just like they do to our country,” eliciting laughter from the audience. He further added, “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
Hinchcliffe’s remarks were met with immediate condemnation from two Florida congressional Republicans. GOP Rep. María Salazar expressed her “disgust” on X, stating that his “racist” rhetoric “does not reflect GOP values.” Senator Rick Scott criticized the “joke” as “not funny” and “not true.”
Democrats wasted no time in denouncing the offensive comments, contrasting them with Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Pennsylvania, where she was courting Puerto Rican voters. Harris had released a video criticizing Trump for withholding hurricane relief from Puerto Rico before Hinchcliffe's comments, which was shared by Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny on Instagram to his more than 18 million followers.
Another speaker in the lineup, David Rem, referred to Harris as “the anti-Christ,” while businessman Grant Cardone made a derogatory remark, saying Harris has “pimp handlers.”
A Trump adviser later indicated that the campaign had not vetted the speakers' content.
Trump’s closing remarks centered on the economy and his personal grievances, as well as calls to eliminate “the enemy from within,” and “sinister and corrupt forces.” He specifically demonized migrants, advocating for the death penalty for “any migrant who kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer.” During his speech, he paused to show a video detailing Venezuelan migrants and gang activity in New York, prompting chants from the crowd of “Send them back.”
Upon being introduced by his wife, Melania Trump, the former president opened his address by asking the audience, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” The response from the crowd was a resounding, “no.”
The rally held particular significance for Trump, who had long desired to hold an event at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. His campaign framed the rally as the beginning of his closing appeal, featuring a lineup filled with MAGA supporters and influential figures, including Elon Musk, former Fox News star Tucker Carlson, and ex-professional wrestler Hulk Hogan.
"Usually when I'm at Madison Square Garden I'm body slamming giants," Hogan noted, appreciating the atmosphere. He added, "This is Donald Trump's house, brother,” and remarked, “I don’t see no stinking Nazis in here,” referring to the notorious 1939 Nazi rally that took place at the venue.
Longtime advisor Dan Scavino recounted a poignant moment when he was in the hospital with Trump following a July assassination attempt. He showed Trump an iconic photograph of him pumping his fist, capturing the moment's significance. Scavino expressed emotion as he described Trump’s concern for the photographer’s well-being.
“You’ve got a fighter behind the scenes and out in public,” Scavino encouraged, urging supporters to vote and “fight, fight, fight!”
Two former Democrats, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., criticized their former party and Republicans who support Kamala Harris. Gabbard garnered applause when she declared, “A vote for Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney,” referring to the former vice president who endorsed Harris.
Despite New York's non-battleground status, the Trump campaign leaned into the Manhattan setting for heightened media exposure and to bolster down-ballot Republicans, though none of those candidates were featured on the event's speaker list.
Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor, received a standing ovation from the crowd. At the time, he was facing a legal battle over his law license, having been ordered to relinquish significant assets to two Georgia poll workers who had won a defamation lawsuit against him. Giuliani remarked, “President Trump grew up here — he’s a New Yorker. That’s why some people get annoyed with him, he speaks his mind.”
As part of Trump's campaign messaging, his closing argument was encapsulated in the phrase, “Kamala broke it, and I’m going to fix it,” which reflects Trump’s background in construction and his identity as a fixer in both business and politics.
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, indicated that the former president's campaign would become “aggressive” in the week leading up to the election, with multiple daily events scheduled across various battleground states.
Madison Square Garden, known as “the World’s Most Famous Arena,” can accommodate 19,500 attendees. The Trump campaign claimed the event was sold out, with every section filled to capacity.
Supporters had been lining up overnight on the streets of New York for the chance to see Trump. Among them was Blake Marnell, better known as “Brick Suit Man,” who is a familiar presence at Trump rallies, often seen sporting his distinctive orange brick-patterned suit directly behind the former president.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
Scheduled just over a week before Election Day, the rally aimed to provide Trump a platform for his closing argument but instead faced backlash due to its racial slurs and offensive language.
Tony Hinchcliffe, the first speaker of the evening and host of the “Kill Tony” podcast, started the event with inflammatory comments about Latinos and African Americans. He remarked, “Latinos love making babies. There’s no pulling out. They come inside, just like they do to our country,” eliciting laughter from the audience. He further added, “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
Hinchcliffe’s remarks were met with immediate condemnation from two Florida congressional Republicans. GOP Rep. María Salazar expressed her “disgust” on X, stating that his “racist” rhetoric “does not reflect GOP values.” Senator Rick Scott criticized the “joke” as “not funny” and “not true.”
Democrats wasted no time in denouncing the offensive comments, contrasting them with Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Pennsylvania, where she was courting Puerto Rican voters. Harris had released a video criticizing Trump for withholding hurricane relief from Puerto Rico before Hinchcliffe's comments, which was shared by Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny on Instagram to his more than 18 million followers.
Another speaker in the lineup, David Rem, referred to Harris as “the anti-Christ,” while businessman Grant Cardone made a derogatory remark, saying Harris has “pimp handlers.”
A Trump adviser later indicated that the campaign had not vetted the speakers' content.
Trump’s closing remarks centered on the economy and his personal grievances, as well as calls to eliminate “the enemy from within,” and “sinister and corrupt forces.” He specifically demonized migrants, advocating for the death penalty for “any migrant who kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer.” During his speech, he paused to show a video detailing Venezuelan migrants and gang activity in New York, prompting chants from the crowd of “Send them back.”
Upon being introduced by his wife, Melania Trump, the former president opened his address by asking the audience, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” The response from the crowd was a resounding, “no.”
The rally held particular significance for Trump, who had long desired to hold an event at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. His campaign framed the rally as the beginning of his closing appeal, featuring a lineup filled with MAGA supporters and influential figures, including Elon Musk, former Fox News star Tucker Carlson, and ex-professional wrestler Hulk Hogan.
"Usually when I'm at Madison Square Garden I'm body slamming giants," Hogan noted, appreciating the atmosphere. He added, "This is Donald Trump's house, brother,” and remarked, “I don’t see no stinking Nazis in here,” referring to the notorious 1939 Nazi rally that took place at the venue.
Longtime advisor Dan Scavino recounted a poignant moment when he was in the hospital with Trump following a July assassination attempt. He showed Trump an iconic photograph of him pumping his fist, capturing the moment's significance. Scavino expressed emotion as he described Trump’s concern for the photographer’s well-being.
“You’ve got a fighter behind the scenes and out in public,” Scavino encouraged, urging supporters to vote and “fight, fight, fight!”
Two former Democrats, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., criticized their former party and Republicans who support Kamala Harris. Gabbard garnered applause when she declared, “A vote for Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney,” referring to the former vice president who endorsed Harris.
Despite New York's non-battleground status, the Trump campaign leaned into the Manhattan setting for heightened media exposure and to bolster down-ballot Republicans, though none of those candidates were featured on the event's speaker list.
Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor, received a standing ovation from the crowd. At the time, he was facing a legal battle over his law license, having been ordered to relinquish significant assets to two Georgia poll workers who had won a defamation lawsuit against him. Giuliani remarked, “President Trump grew up here — he’s a New Yorker. That’s why some people get annoyed with him, he speaks his mind.”
As part of Trump's campaign messaging, his closing argument was encapsulated in the phrase, “Kamala broke it, and I’m going to fix it,” which reflects Trump’s background in construction and his identity as a fixer in both business and politics.
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, indicated that the former president's campaign would become “aggressive” in the week leading up to the election, with multiple daily events scheduled across various battleground states.
Madison Square Garden, known as “the World’s Most Famous Arena,” can accommodate 19,500 attendees. The Trump campaign claimed the event was sold out, with every section filled to capacity.
Supporters had been lining up overnight on the streets of New York for the chance to see Trump. Among them was Blake Marnell, better known as “Brick Suit Man,” who is a familiar presence at Trump rallies, often seen sporting his distinctive orange brick-patterned suit directly behind the former president.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
