Trump's chaotic Madison Square Garden rally could muddy his closing economic pitch — and give Democrats a last-minute chance to shake up the race

• Trump's Madison Square Garden rally was expected to beryllium portion of a triumphant closing pitch.
• Instead, it's go astir 1 comedian's violative joke astir Puerto Ricans.
• That could springiness Democrats 1 past changeable to shingle up a title that's been fixed for a while.

Donald Trump's rally astatine Madison Square Garden connected Sunday wasn't expected to beryllium astir 1 comedian's violative joke astir Puerto Rico.

Set successful a 20,000-seat stadium successful nan bosom of deep-blue New York City, nan erstwhile president's rally was intended to beryllium portion of a triumphant closing pitch, 1 that highlighted his increasing support among number voters while generating media sum astir really Trump's economical connection is resonating pinch voters successful municipality areas.

Instead, things went disconnected nan rails.

In nan hours earlier Trump spoke, respective impermanent speakers made violative remarks. Radio big Sid Rosenberg called Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff a "crappy Jew." Tucker Carlson mockingly described Vice President Kamala Harris arsenic personification who would beryllium "the first Samoan-Malaysian, low-IQ, erstwhile California charismatic ever to beryllium elected president." And Tony Hinchcliffe, a pro-Trump comedian, said Puerto Rico was a "floating land of garbage successful nan mediate of nan ocean."

Hinchcliffe's comments generated nan astir attention, drowning retired sum of Trump's existent reside and forcing nan run to make nan uncommon move of distancing itself from a rally speaker. "This joke does not bespeak nan views of President Trump aliases nan campaign," Danielle Alvarez, a elder Trump run advisor, said successful a statement.

Coincidentally, Harris connected Sunday was courting Puerto Rican voters successful Philadelphia, wherever she announced a new group of proposals to boost nan territory's economy. Pennsylvania is location to much than 450,000 Puerto Ricans, according to US Census data, nan astir of immoderate awesome plaything state. Multiple Puerto Rican celebrities, including nan rapper and vocalist Bad Bunny, showed support for Harris connected Sunday.

With conscionable complete 1 week to spell until nan election, Democrats whitethorn person conscionable been handed 1 past opportunity to shingle up nan communicative of a statesmanlike predetermination that's grown calcified successful caller weeks, pinch Trump slow eating into a polling lead that Harris built aft nan presidential debate successful September.

"A week successful authorities is an absolute lifetime," said Mike Nellis, a Democratic strategist and nan laminitis and CEO of nan Democratic run patient Authentic, adding that Harris now "has an opportunity to reframe nan race."

'I want everyone successful Philadelphia to spot that clip'

It remains to beryllium seen whether and really Puerto Rican voters will respond to what happened connected Sunday. Hinchcliffe, who did not respond to a petition for comment, wrote connected X that Democrats person "no consciousness of humor" and that his joke had been "taken retired of context."

But respective Republicans instantly saw nan remarks arsenic a liability, issuing condemnations connected societal media arsenic nan rally remained ongoing. That included Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, some Republicans from Florida, which is location to much than 1.1 cardinal Puerto Ricans.

Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, a Republican of Puerto Rican descent who represents a plaything territory connected Long Island, besides condemned nan remarks.

While Pennsylvania is location to nan largest Puerto Rican organization successful a plaything authorities — pinch communities successful cities for illustration Philadelphia and Reading — location are besides much than 100,000 Puerto Ricans surviving successful North Carolina and Georgia, 2 "Sun Belt" plaything states.

Trump has been trying this twelvemonth to broaden his entreaty among Latino voters, including by holding a rally successful nan Bronx successful May. He has chiefly leaned into nan economy, fixed that galore voters support a affirmative position of nan system nether nan erstwhile president's tenure. Polling has generally fixed Trump nan edge complete Harris erstwhile it comes to handling nan issue.

Democrats person been speedy to prehend connected Hinchcliffe's comments. During a Twitch stream pinch Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Gov. Tim Walz noted that location are "hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans crossed — successful battleground states, that request to nonstop them a connection connected this."

"I want everyone successful Philadelphia to spot that clip," said Ocasio-Cortez, who is Puerto Rican.

What remains to beryllium seen is whether Democrats will put resources into making judge that happens. Spokespeople for nan Harris campaign, on pinch Senate and House Democrats' run arms, did not respond to Business Insider's inquiries arsenic to whether they would.

But Nellis, nan Democratic strategist, said that there's still clip for Harris successful peculiar to capitalize connected nan moment.

"The Harris run has been beautiful bully astir cutting caller TV ads really quickly, truthful if they request to get worldly up connected TV, they surely can," Nellis said.

Digital ads, however, could beryllium much tricky. Beginning astatine 12:01am Pacific Time connected Tuesday, Meta will not allow campaigns to tally immoderate caller governmental ads connected their societal networks. That blackout play will past a week until 11:59pm connected Election Night.

Harris is group to present her ain "closing argument" reside connected Tuesday connected nan Ellipse successful Washington, DC, wherever Trump held a rally soon earlier a mob of his supporters stormed nan US Capitol connected January 6.