Trump defends New York rally as ‘lovefest’ amid backlash over racist jokes against Puerto Rico

If anyone was expecting an apology from Donald Trump for the racist insults uttered at his rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, they will be disappointed. The former president appeared at Mar-a-Lago, his mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday, arriving more than an hour and a quarter late for the scheduled press conference. He spoke for an hour, and only at the end of his address did he reference the rally, claiming “there’s never been an event so beautiful” and describing it as a “lovefest.”

Trump’s comments came two days after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe told Trump’s rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden: “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” Hinchcliffe also mocked Jews, Palestinians, and various ethnic groups, including the Black and Latino community.

When asked about Hinchcliffe’s remarks in an interview with ABC News, Trump attempted to distance himself, stating: “I don’t know him, someone put him up there.” He also claimed he hadn’t heard the joke, despite it being widely circulated.

In his Tuesday speech, Trump made no mention of the racist insults or the other xenophobic remarks made at the rally. Instead, he insisted: “The love in that room was breathtaking [...] politicians that have been doing this for a long time, 30 and 40 years, said that there’s never been an event so beautiful. It was like a lovefest, an absolute lovefest, and it was my honor to be involved.” Trump also criticized those who compared the event to a pro-Nazi rally that took place at the same venue in 1939.

Trump’s address, which did not allow for questions afterward, was a full-throated condemnation of the Biden administration. He attributed much of the nation’s problems to Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming — without evidence — that the United States had been reduced “a third-world country.” It was a speech that closely resembled the rhetoric from his previous rallies.

Preemptive strike

Trump’s address was a kind of preemptive strike, anticipating the “closing argument” against him that Harris is scheduled to deliver on Tuesday at a rally on the Ellipse in Washington. This is the same location from which Trump had previously urged his supporters to march to the Capitol, leading to the violent events of January 6, 2021.

In his address, Trump unleashed his typical apocalyptic rhetoric, positioning himself as the savior of the United States while accusing Democrats of attempting to destroy the nation through a “campaign of hate,” even as he fired off one insult after another.

Once again, Trump linked immigration to crime, employing his characteristic xenophobic language, filled with lies and exaggerations. On stage with him were the mother of a murder victim killed by an immigrant and the widow of an American who died during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Both individuals, along with Trump, blamed Harris for these deaths. The former president went so far as to promise the death penalty for immigrants who kill Americans. He also reiterated false claims about cities such as Springfield, Ohio, and Aurora, Colorado.

Trump also spread misinformation regarding the economy and federal aid following Hurricane Helene. After rattling off a series of falsehoods, he said that Democrats continually lie.

With respect to the comedian’s insult, the former president opted not to issue an apology that some, even within the Republican Party, have demanded. The comedian’s remarks on Sunday sparked outrage not only in Puerto Rico but also among the approximately six million Puerto Ricans living in the 50 states, who have the right to vote in presidential elections. Their influence is particularly significant in Pennsylvania, which, with its 19 Electoral College votes, is one of the most important battleground states.

In response to the controversy, the Republican campaign has sought to distance itself from Hinchcliffe’s comments. Several Republican figures condemned the remarks, asserting that they do not reflect the GOP’s stance on Puerto Rico.

Florida Senator Rick Scott tweeted on Sunday: “This joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans!”

Similarly, Florida Senator Marco Rubio stated, “Puerto Rico isn’t garbage, it’s home to fellow American citizens who have made tremendous contributions to our country.” While he emphasized that “those weren’t Trump’s words,” he also downplayed the incident, framing it as “jokes by an insult comic who offends virtually everyone, all the time….. because that is what insult comedians do.”

Trump’s vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance said at a rally on Monday that he didn’t want to weigh in on the joke itself, but added a line that did little to quell the controversy: “We’re not going to restore the greatness of American civilization if we get offended at every little thing.”

The Harris campaign, meanwhile, has seized the moment to launch an advertisement featuring the comedian’s remarks about Puerto Rico, which also highlights the minimal federal aid provided to the island following Hurricane Maria during the Republican presidency. In the ad, Harris states: “I will never forget what Donald Trump did — and what he did not do — when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader. He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back to back devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults.”

The Democrats have also recalled Trump’s comments after Hurricane Maria, including his suggestion that the U.S. could “sell” Puerto Rico and his attempts to downplay the hurricane’s death toll. He even considered exchanging Puerto Rico for Greenland, calling the island as “dirty.”

On Monday, Harris remarked: ”Donald Trump’s event in Madison Square Garden really highlighted a point that I’ve been making throughout this campaign. He is focused and actually fixated on his grievances, on himself and on dividing our country.”

Former president Barack Obama also addressed the issue during his rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest city, defending Puerto Ricans while criticizing Trump and the Republican Party. He stated: “We saw it last night … the man holds a big rally at Madison Square Garden, and the warm-up speakers were trotting out and peddling the most racist, sexist, bigoted stereotypes. One guy called Puerto Rico, quote, ‘an island of garbage.’ These are fellow citizens he is talking about. Here in Philadelphia, they are your neighbors. They are your friends; they are your coworkers. Their kids go to school with your kids. These are Americans; they’re people.”

He added: “Here’s a good rule: if someone does not respect you, if someone does not see you as fellow citizens with equal claims to opportunity, to the pursuit of happiness, to the American Dream, you should not vote for them. You should not expect them to make your life better.”

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition