She, like many others in line, were decked out in pro-Trump merch. Though you’d have no problem if you left your MAGA hat at home — peddlers had set up shop in every corner and were even offering Trump at Madison Square Garden swag.
Even though she wasn’t able to get into the actual rally herself, she planned on “sticking around,” adding that “It’s nice to be with like minded people.” Others had the same idea, too, and flooded nearby bars and restaurants.
An Irish pub on 33rd street, The Celtic Rail, was filled to the brim with people from all walks of life wearing the signature red hat. According to a couple of men inside, it wasn’t an organized event but that people had just popped in as they got turned away from the Garden. Trump supporters had also taken over a nearby pizza restaurant with a direct view of a jumbotron playing a livestream of the rally.
It wouldn’t be New York if there wasn’t a bit of dissent, however. A sizable faction of protesters had clustered around the Moynihan Train hall, across the street from the Garden. One of those protesters, Nadine Seiler, was carrying a sign that read “Don the felon” on one side, and “Trump should be in prison” on the other.
Ms. Seiler says that the public’s support for Trump makes her “very embarrassed to be an American citizen” and that she is “embarrassed” that “the American people are so susceptible to misinformation and disinformation,” adding: “we use no critical thinking.”
As an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago, she says, she “bought into the American idea of checks and balances and American exceptionalism” which she worries is proving to be “just bark and no teeth.” She traveled all the way from Maryland to participate in the protest.
Former first lady Melania Trump and President Trump walk off the stage after the campaign rally at Madison Square Garden. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, projected disparaging messages about Trump on the outside of Madison Square Garden, including “Trump praised Hitler.” Democrats, in the lead up to Trump’s event, drew comparisons to a Nazi rally that was held at the Garden in 1939.
By 5 p.m. the rally had kicked off its star-studded line-up, which featured Senator Vance, Elon Musk, RFK Jr., Rudy Giuliani, Tucker Carlson, Hulk Hogan, Melania Trump, and others.
Mrs. Trump, in a rare campaign appearance, took the stage to introduce her husband to what she called “our hometown,” to the delight of a roaring crowd.
After walking out to a live version of Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA, Trump told the crowd, “I’m thrilled to be back in the city I love.” In his hour-plus long speech, the former president repeated many of his campaign promises such as cutting taxes, raising wages, securing the border and ending the war in Gaza and in Ukraine. He also took several jabs at Vice President Harris, calling her “grossly incompetent” and having a “very low IQ.”
President Trump speaks at the campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, telling the crowd: “We will make America powerful again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America healthy again.” Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
He ended his address by repeating various iterations of his infamous campaign phrase: “We will make America powerful again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America healthy again. We will make America strong again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again, and we will make America great again,” he said.
Trump’s speech, however, was hardly the most controversial of the night. Podcast host and comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, offered an expletive filled address that mocked latinos and called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”
His unsavory jokes have since sparked backlash online, with even some Republicans coming forward with their displeasure. A Florida representative, María Elvira Salaza, took to X to share that “This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect.”
Another Florida Rep, Carlos Gimez, said that “This is not a joke. It’s completely classless & in poor taste.”
The Trump campaign has since distanced themselves from Mr. Hinchcliffe’s remarks. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” a senior campaign adviser, Danielle Alvarez, said in a statement to The Washington Post.
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Publish date : 2024-10-27 16:15:00
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