Trump Madison Square Garden event begins with crude jokes and put-downs of critics

Donald Trump is finally getting his Madison Square Garden moment. With just over a week to go before election day, the former US president will take the stage on Sunday at one of the country’s most well-known venues, hosting a hometown rally to deliver his campaign’s closing message against Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris.

The opening of the rally was a hodgepodge of Trumpism, with an extended clip played from the 1970 film Patton, a painting of the American flag with Trump in front of it as God Bless America blared from the speakers, and a stand-up routine from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe that was full of lewd jokes, often invoking racist stereotypes of Latinos, Jews and black people.

“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,” said Hinchcliffe, whose joke was immediately flagged by Harris’ campaign, which is competing with Trump to win over Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania and other swing states.

US comedian Tony Hinchcliffe speaks during a campaign rally for Trump at Madison Square Garden, New York on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Several critics ripped Hillary Clinton, the Democrat defeated by Trump eight years ago, for saying Trump on Sunday would be “re-enacting” a pro-Nazi event at the Garden in February 1939. One speaker, radio host Sid Rosenberg, used a profanity to denounce the former secretary of state.

“Hey guys, they’re now scrambling and trying to call us Nazis and fascists,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump’s lawyers, 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?”

Trump has denounced the four criminal indictments brought against him as politically motivated. He has ramped up his denunciations in recent weeks of “enemies from within”, naming domestic political rivals, and suggested he would use the military to go after them.

The arena was full hours before Trump was expected to speak. Outside the arena, the pavements 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.

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