Trump holds rally at Madison Square Garden, Harris campaigns in Philadelphia

NEW YORK/PHILADELPHIA — 

Republican statesmanlike campaigner Donald Trump was acceptable to pb a rally astatine New York's Madison Square Garden connected Sunday that began with a bid of vulgar and racist remarks by allies of the erstwhile president.

Trump, a New York personage for decades, hoped to usage the lawsuit astatine the iconic venue known for Knicks hoops games and Billy Joel concerts to present his closing statement against Democratic campaigner Kamala Harris, adjacent though the authorities past backed a Republican statesmanlike campaigner successful 1984.

"We privation to adjacent it retired with a beauteous bang," helium said past week.

Some of the introductory speakers utilized racist and misogynistic connection successful warming up a capableness assemblage successful the hours earlier Trump was acceptable to speak.

Rudy Giuliani, the one-time New York City politician and a erstwhile idiosyncratic lawyer to Trump, falsely claimed that Harris was "on the broadside of the terrorists" successful the Israeli-Palestinian struggle and wanted to bring Palestinians to the United States.

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe utilized crass connection successful joking that Latinos "love making babies" and called the Caribbean U.S. territory of Puerto Rico a "floating land of garbage."

Puerto Rican vocalist Ricky Martin posted a clip of the comments connected his Instagram and wrote, successful Spanish, "This is what they deliberation of us."

Harris earlier connected Sunday visited a Puerto Rican edifice successful Philadelphia successful the must-win authorities of Pennsylvania to promote radical to vote. She posted a video connected societal media promising to "invest successful Puerto Rico's future" arsenic president.

Harris's run successful an email said the Madison Square Garden rally was "mirroring the aforesaid dangerously divisive and demeaning message" arsenic Trump.

Trump's 2016 statesmanlike opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, has accused him of "re-enacting" a pro-Nazi rally that was held astatine Madison Square Garden successful 1939 connected the eve of World War II.

Trump’s critics person agelong accused him of empowering achromatic supremacists with dehumanizing and racist rhetoric.

Trump rejected the examination to the 1930s. "This is called Make America Great Again, that's each this is," helium said connected Friday.

“Today, this is Donald Trump’s house,” said the wrestler Hulk Hogan successful a code astatine the New York lawsuit connected Sunday, aboriginal rejecting accusations that Trump is simply a fascist: “I don’t spot immoderate Nazis successful here."

Polls amusement the rival candidates are cervix and cervix successful the battleground states that volition determine the adjacent president with conscionable implicit a week until Election Day. More than 38 cardinal votes person already been formed successful aboriginal and mail-in voting.

Trump has been seeking to necktie Harris to the Biden administration's handling of migration and the economy. Last week, Trump debuted a caller onslaught line: "She broke it, and I committedness you I volition hole it."

The U.S. system has outperformed the remainder of the developed satellite since the COVID-19 crisis, and banal markets deed grounds highs this year. But precocious prices of food, utilities and lodging person roiled voters, who judge the system is headed successful the incorrect direction.

Harris, who held a rally with Bruce Springsteen successful Atlanta connected Thursday and Beyonce successful Houston connected Friday, volition clasp different high-profile lawsuit with a code connected Tuesday connected the National Mall successful Washington, wherever she volition item contrasts betwixt herself and Trump.

"He is afloat of grievance. He is afloat of acheronian connection that is astir retribution and revenge," Harris said of Trump successful Philadelphia connected Sunday.

Trump, who held a rally successful Long Island, New York, successful September, has said helium is making a play for the state. Ronald Reagan's reelection was the past clip New York backed a Republican for president; Democrat Joe Biden won the authorities successful 2020 by 23 percent points.

'Show of strength'

By staging the attention-grabbing lawsuit successful the world's biggest media market, Trump could assistance boost Republican candidates successful New York legislature races. The authorities has 7 competitory seats that could assistance find whether the enactment holds onto the U.S. House of Representatives adjacent year.

It could besides springiness Trump a boost successful adjacent northeastern Pennsylvania, a battleground authorities that has progressively go location for New York commuters.

Trump's run said the lawsuit astatine the 19,500-seat arena, which tin outgo upwards of $1 cardinal to rent, was sold out. Tickets are escaped and connected a first-come-first-served basis, arsenic was the lawsuit with Harris' Houston rally.

A assemblage of immoderate 30,000 radical attended Harris' rally with Beyonce connected Friday nighttime successful Houston, and astir 20,000 attended the Atlanta rally.

"My interior polling is my instinct," Harris said to reporters successful Philadelphia erstwhile asked however the run is faring successful its interior predetermination projections.

"The momentum is with us," she said.

After Sunday's vicinity Philadelphia stops, Harris plans to sojourn each battleground authorities successful coming days, including a Madison, Wisconsin, rally and performance with people stone set Mumford & Sons and a Las Vegas lawsuit with Mexican popular set Mana.