At Sunday’s Madison Square Garden rally, Donald Trump’s message was once again overshadowed by controversy.
The event, meant to energize his base in the final days of the election, instead sparked internal conflict and concern among Trump’s allies.
Several were troubled by the inflammatory language used by speakers.
Especially comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s offensive joke about Puerto Rico, which he called a “floating island of garbage.”
Trump’s team, though known for its bold style, found itself on the defensive.
Many of the evening’s comments appeared pre-approved, with some read from teleprompters, raising questions about who vetted the speeches.
“I’m livid,” shared one source close to Trump, admitting surprise that the remarks hadn’t been thoroughly reviewed.
Another campaign advisor admitted that while speeches were checked, some of the most offensive comments were unscripted.
The timing of the rally, so close to Election Day, intensified the backlash.
Allies in battleground states, particularly Florida, where Puerto Ricans are a growing voting bloc, expressed alarm.
Florida Senator Rick Scott condemned the comments as “neither funny nor true,”
While Representative Byron Donalds, also from Florida, asserted, “Nobody agreed with that.”
New York’s Puerto Rican representative, Anthony D’Esposito, called the comedy set “garbage,” advising the campaign to “stay on message.”
The fallout stretched to social media, where Democrats quickly leveraged the controversy.
Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny voiced his support for Kamala Harris, a move her campaign embraced.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described the event as a “hate rally” and suggested the Trump team had realized its error.
This event marked a stark departure from the controlled atmosphere of July’s Republican National Convention, where speeches were meticulously crafted and deviations were minimal.
Since the RNC, however, Trump’s campaign has struggled to keep him on message as his public appearances take on an increasingly provocative tone.
The Trump campaign released a statement distancing itself from Hinchcliffe’s remarks, saying, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Whether the rally’s divisive language will affect Trump’s support in critical states, especially among Puerto Rican voters, remains to be seen.
