Early in the meeting, speakers used racist and misogynistic language to fire up a packed room. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe stood out by comparing Puerto Rico, many of whose residents live in New York, to “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.” He also said that Latinos “love making babies.”
Puerto Rican stars, including reggaeton star Bad Bunny and singer Ricky Martin, later supported Kamala Harris by sharing videos of her. “This is what they think of us,” Ricky Martin wrote on Instagram during Hinchcliffe’s speech, urging his 18 million followers to vote for Harris.
Among the crowd-pullers were Elon Musk, Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., wrestler Hulk Hogan, and former ultraconservative Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The latter, like Trump himself, attacked Harris. Trump said, among other things, that she is “clearly a low-IQ individual.”
“You destroyed the country (…) Kamala, you’re fired, get out!” Trump said. He later denounced an “invasion” of migrants into the United States and again promised “the largest deportation” in the country’s history.
Trump again called his political opponents “enemies within.” The Republican presidential candidate also repeatedly spoke of his plans to stop illegal immigration and deport migrants, whom he described as “vile and bloodthirsty criminals.” He also said that “any migrant who kills an American citizen deserves the death penalty.”