Donald Trump took the stage Sunday night at New York鈥檚 Madison Square Garden to deliver his campaign's closing argument with the election nine days away after several of his allies used crude and racist insults toward U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and other critics of the former president.
The Republican nominee began by asking the same questions he鈥檚 asked at the start of every recent rally: 鈥淎re you better off now than you were four years ago?鈥 The crowd responded with a resounding 鈥淣o!鈥
鈥淭his election is a choice between whether we鈥檒l have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we鈥檒l begin the greatest years in the history of our country,鈥 he said after being introduced by his wife, Melania Trump, whose rare surprise appearance comes after she has been largely absent on the campaign trail.
Several speakers earlier on Sunday crudely insulted Harris, who is vying to become the first woman and Black woman to win the presidency. And a stand-up comedian made lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people, all key constituencies in the election just nine days away.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if you guys know this, but there鈥檚 literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it鈥檚 called Puerto Rico,鈥 said comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose joke was immediately criticized by Harris鈥 campaign as it competes with Trump to win over Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania and other swing states. Shortly after Hinchcliffe鈥檚 appearance, music superstar Bad Bunny, who is from Puerto Rico, endorsed Harris.
Trump鈥檚 childhood friend David Rem, meanwhile, referred to Harris as 鈥渢he Antichrist鈥 and 鈥渢he devil.鈥 Businessman Grant Cardone told the crowd that Harris 鈥漚nd her pimp handlers will destroy our country.鈥 And former Fox News host Tucker Carlson called Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, 鈥渁 Samoan, Malaysian, low-IQ former California prosecutor.鈥
Scott Lobaido unveils a painting before Republican presidential nominee former U.S. president Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)
The event was a surreal spectacle, turning what his campaign had advertised as the event where he would deliver his closing message in the campaign鈥檚 final days to an illustration of what turns off his critics. The lineup included House Speaker Mike Johnson, TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, and someone who painted a picture of Trump hugging the Empire State Building.
And that was all before the Republican presidential nominee took the stage more than two hours late.
Trump on Sunday added a new proposal to his list of tax cuts aimed at winning over older adults and blue-collar workers, which already includes vows to end taxes on Social Security benefits, tips and overtime pay: A tax credit for family caregivers.
This comes after Harris has talked about the 鈥渟andwich generation鈥 of adults caring for aging parents while raising their children at the same time. Harris has proposed federal funding to cover home care costs for older Americans.
Trump otherwise repeated familiar lines about foreign policy and immigration, calling for the death penalty for any migrant who kills a U.S. citizen and saying that the day he takes office, 鈥淭he migrant invasion of our country ends.鈥
Many of the speakers Sunday appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention. This time, the same speakers shouted and railed more against Democrats.
Hogan, returning to the venue where he performed years ago as a professional wrestler, seemed to reprise his character, emerging wearing a giant red, orange and yellow boa and violently waving a large American flag as he posed and danced. He spat on the stage during his speech, flexed his muscles repeatedly and told the audience: 鈥淭rump is the only man that can fix this country today.鈥
Hulk Hogan rips his shirt at a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
While some Democrats and pundits have questioned Trump鈥檚 decision to hold what they dismiss as a vanity event in his hometown, the rally guarantees Trump what he most craves: the spotlight, wall-to-wall coverage and a national audience.
The closing message he will deliver Sunday, according to his campaign, is that Harris 鈥渂roke鈥 the country and that Trump 鈥渨ill fix it.鈥 Rallygoers hours beforehand waved signs with the words 鈥淭rump will fix it.鈥
Some Democrats, arguing that Trump is a 鈥渇ascist,鈥 have compared his Sunday event to a pro-Nazi rally at the Garden in February 1939. Several speakers on Sunday ripped Hillary Clinton, the Democrat defeated by Trump eight years ago, for saying recently that Trump would be 鈥渞eenacting鈥 the 1939 event.
鈥淗ey guys, they're now scrambling and trying to call us Nazis and fascists,鈥 said Alina Habba, one of Trump's attorneys, who draped a sparkly 鈥淢AGA鈥 jacket over the lectern as she spoke. 鈥淎nd 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?鈥
Declared Hogan in his characteristic raspy growl: 鈥淚 don't see no stinkin' Nazis in here.鈥
Trump has denounced the four criminal indictments brought against him as politically motivated. He has ramped up his denunciations in recent weeks of 鈥渆nemies from within,鈥 naming domestic political rivals, and suggested he would use the military to go after them. Harris, in turn, has called Trump a 鈥渇ascist.鈥
The arena was full hours before Trump was scheduled to speak. Outside the arena, the sidewalks were overflowing with Trump supporters in red 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥 hats. There was a heavy security presence. Streets were blocked off and access to Penn Station was restricted.
In the crowd was Philip D鈥橝gostino, a longtime Trump backer from Queens, the borough where Trump grew up. The 64-year-old said it was appropriate for Trump to be speaking at a place bills itself as 鈥渢he world鈥檚 most famous arena.鈥
鈥淚t just goes to show ya that he has a bigger following of any man that has ever lived,鈥 D'Agostino said.
New York has not voted for a Republican for president in 40 years. But that hasn't stopped Trump from continuing to insist he believes he can win.
Trump routinely uses his hometown as a foil before audiences in other states, painting a dark vision of the city that bears little resemblance to reality. He鈥檚 cast it as crime-ridden and overrun by violent, immigrant gangs who have taken over Fifth and Madison avenues and occupied Times Square.
Trump has a complicated history with the place where he built his business empire and that made him a tabloid and reality TV star. Its residents indicted him last year on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He was found guilty in that case, and also found liable in civil court for business fraud and sexual abuse.
Video boards outside Madison Square Garden display information about the campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
The rally is one of a series of detours Trump has made from battleground states, including a recent rally in Coachella, California 鈥 best known for the famous music festival named after the town 鈥 and one in May on the Jersey Shore. This summer he campaigned in the South Bronx.
To reach them, Trump has spent hours appearing on popular podcasts. And his campaign has worked to create viral moments like his visit last weekend to a McDonald鈥檚 restaurant, where he made fries and served supporters through the drive-thru window. Video of the stop posted by his campaign has been viewed more than 40 million times on TikTok alone.
Harris has also traveled to non-battleground states for major events intended to drive a national message. She appeared in Houston Friday with music superstar Beyonc茅 to speak about reproductive rights, and will deliver her own closing argument Tuesday from the Ellipse in Washington, where Trump spoke ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Trump will be joined at the rally by supporters including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who has spent tens of millions of dollars to boost his campaign.
Trump often compares himself to the country鈥檚 greatest entertainers. The former reality TV star has long talked about wanting to hold a rally at the venue in interviews and private conversations.
Beyond the national spotlight and the appeal of appearing on one of the world's most famous stages, Republicans in the state say the rally will also help down-ballot candidates. New York is home to a handful of competitive congressional races that could determine which party controls the House next year.
Trump will also use the stop as a major fundraising opportunity as he continues to seriously lag Harris in the money race.
Scott Moe earned his second mandate as premier and his Saskatchewan Party held onto government for a fifth-straight majority, 麻豆影视 declared Monday night. But the party did not hold onto all its seats.
Henrickson was a 17-year-old girl from Squamish who went missing after a house party on Bowen Island, during the then unusually warm summer of 2009.
An American presidential historian is maintaining his previous prediction of a Kamala Harris presidency as the U.S. election hits the one-week mark.
A new report says when the province deregulated electricity generation in 2001, it forced Albertans to pay billions more for their power.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre thinks it would be 'not fair' for the Liberals to oust Prime Minister Justin Trudeau now, as in his view they are 'morally obligated' to keep him.
The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers will play Game 4 of the World Series.
Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is starting to talk to other opposition parties about bringing down Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government.
The headliners for the region鈥檚 biggest outdoor country music festival are locked in, and once again, the multi-day event has garnered big names.
Nova Scotia鈥檚 Department of Labour has lifted its stop-work order at a Halifax Walmart more than a week after the body of 19-year-old Gursimran Kaur was discovered in an industrial oven in the store鈥檚 bakery.
A new report says when the province deregulated electricity generation in 2001, it forced Albertans to pay billions more for their power.
Scott Moe earned his second mandate as premier and his Saskatchewan Party held onto government for a fifth-straight majority, 麻豆影视 declared Monday night. But the party did not hold onto all its seats.
A Nova Scotia teen is facing numerous charges related to a complex swatting investigation. On Oct. 25, Nova Scotia RCMP, with the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police, arrested a 14-year-old male at his home in Bridgewater, N.S.
Henrickson was a 17-year-old girl from Squamish who went missing after a house party on Bowen Island, during the then unusually warm summer of 2009.
Nova Scotians 鈥 including the province鈥檚 top politicians 鈥 are continuing to express outrage after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in Ku Klux Klan costumes.
Police in Newfoundland and Labrador have charged an off-duty RCMP officer for allegedly driving while impaired, following a crash on Sunday.
A man armed with several different weapons fired at least 15 gunshots through the walls and door and off the balcony of his apartment at a Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta during a standoff Tuesday afternoon and was taken into custody, police said.
Two political statues have mysteriously popped up in Washington, D.C., drawing crowds of onlookers, just a week before Election Day.
Donald Trump on Tuesday called his rally at New York's Madison Square Garden, an event marked by crude and racist insults by several speakers, a 'lovefest.'
With U.S. election day now a week away, Washington political analyst Eric Ham highlights five pertinent issues to watch for as the curtain comes down on this dramatic and spellbinding drama.
The U.S. presidential election is one week away, and residents of Ogdensburg, N.Y., a small port city along the St. Lawrence Seaway across the border from eastern Ontario, are preparing to make their voices heard.
A 10-story hotel under renovation in Argentina collapsed Tuesday, leaving one person dead and at least seven trapped in the debris, authorities said.
Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is starting to talk to other opposition parties about bringing down Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre thinks it would be 'not fair' for the Liberals to oust Prime Minister Justin Trudeau now, as in his view they are 'morally obligated' to keep him.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison has confirmed a report that Canada is alleging an Indian cabinet minister and close adviser to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered intelligence-gathering operations of Canadians.
Long COVID can have wide-ranging impacts, but is most commonly associated with brain fog, breathing difficulties and debilitating fatigue.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says an Ontario facility producing plant-based milks was not adhering to Health Canada鈥檚 policies on listeria prevention prior to an outbreak that led to three deaths.
A 15-year-old high school freshman is hospitalized with severe complications of food poisoning after eating McDonald鈥檚 Quarter Pounder hamburgers three times in the weeks before a deadly E. coli outbreak was detected.
A recently discovered comet that some stargazers had hoped to see during Halloween week has disintegrated before the day of ghosts and ghouls.
A vital glacier in western Antarctica appears to be smoking in a rare view captured by a NASA satellite earlier this month.
A first-of-its kind facility for Atlantic Canada dedicated to marine animal autopsies and sampling is opening in Seaforth, N.S.
The headliners for the region鈥檚 biggest outdoor country music festival are locked in, and once again, the multi-day event has garnered big names.
Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favourites as 'Young Frankenstein' and 'Tootsie,' has died. She was 79.
A curator at a museum in New York City has discovered a previously unknown waltz written by Frederic Chopin, the first time that a new piece of work by the Polish composer has been found in nearly 100 years.
A U.S. bankruptcy judge approved a sale of Tupperware Brands on Tuesday, paving the way for the iconic food-shortage company to soon exit Chapter 11 protection and continue offering its products while undergoing a hoped-for revitalization.
A longtime family business in Windsor, Ont. is looking ahead to the future of furniture and appliances, by branching outside of the family tree for the first time in almost 100 years.
Statistics Canada's latest financial security survey shows a stark disparity between the wealth of homeowners and renters, even as it fails to capture the true scale what's owned by Canada's richest families.
With Halloween around the corner, you might be surprised to learn that Canada is home to some very scary places, with towns having names that mention coffins, death and blood.
A young Toronto Maple Leafs fan's Auston Matthews Halloween costume is going viral and, if he plays his cards right, he could meet the newly-minted captain face-to-face.
Jaywalking -- that time-honored practice of crossing the street outside of the crosswalk or against the traffic light -- is now legal in New York City.
The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers will play Game 4 of the World Series.
A young Toronto Maple Leafs fan's Auston Matthews Halloween costume is going viral and, if he plays his cards right, he could meet the newly-minted captain face-to-face.
Walking from his apartment to classes and then to the University of Florida鈥檚 basketball facility, Olivier Rioux poses for dozens 鈥 sometimes hundreds 鈥 of pictures a day.
Volkswagen has informed employee representatives that it wants to close at least three plants in Germany, the head of the company's works council said Monday.
A 17-year-old Ottawa driver was caught speeding nearly 90 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417.
Based on initial appearances, there are signs indicating the automobile industry is in healthy shape 鈥 for now.
Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.
Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.
New Brunswicker Jillea Godin鈥檚 elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
B.C. Premier David Eby took questions from reporters Tuesday for the first time since his party secured the narrowest of majorities in the final count of provincial election results.
Hours after the premier addressed reporters, the incoming leader of the Opposition held his own news conference dialling back the rhetoric that fired up B.C. Conservative supporters on election night.
A man who was convicted in the random stabbing of a stranger at a downtown Vancouver Tim Hortons in 2022 is back in custody, according to authorities.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says an Ontario facility producing plant-based milks was not adhering to Health Canada鈥檚 policies on listeria prevention prior to an outbreak that led to three deaths.
The Ontario government will give each taxpayer a $200 rebate. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Tuesday and said the rebate will also extend to families with children, with an additional $200 per eligible child.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged two suspects in connection with what they鈥檙e calling an 'extensive' fraud investigation linked to a COVID-19 vaccine database.
A woman was seriously injured after being hit by a vehicle in the community of Fairview on Tuesday afternoon.
Calgary police have released photos of a man allegedly responsible for a bear spray attack at Market Mall last month.
Calgary council has approved changes to the city's transit bylaw that will double fines for intimidation and crack down on riders who loiter.
Ontario Provincial Police confirm an arrest has been made in connection with a fatal boat crash on Bobs Lake in eastern Ontario over the Victoria Day long weekend.
Police say the homicide unit is investigating after a man was stabbed and later died Monday night. A 58-year-old woman has been arrested.
Former Ottawa-Carleton regional chair and first mayor of Nepean Andrew Haydon has died. He was 91.
The Coalition Avenir Qu茅bec鈥檚 Sylvie D鈥橝mours said she shut her office down Tuesday after its windows were shot at.
Walking from his apartment to classes and then to the University of Florida鈥檚 basketball facility, Olivier Rioux poses for dozens 鈥 sometimes hundreds 鈥 of pictures a day.
Concerned about the impact of the presidential election on Quebec exports, Premier Francois Legault will be going on a mission to Washington in early 2025.
Premier Danielle Smith says she is taking steps to keep Albertans warm this winter while keeping their utility bills low.
The world's best hockey player and star captain of the Edmonton Oilers appears to be out of action for at least one game, but it could be for longer.
Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has dismantled one of the 鈥榤ost elaborate encampments鈥 officers have ever seen.
Nova Scotia鈥檚 Department of Labour has lifted its stop-work order at a Halifax Walmart more than a week after the body of 19-year-old Gursimran Kaur was discovered in an industrial oven in the store鈥檚 bakery.
Nova Scotians 鈥 including the province鈥檚 top politicians 鈥 are continuing to express outrage after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in Ku Klux Klan costumes.
Authorities believe they have solved a cyber crime spanning schools in Ontario and the United States, and the suspect at the centre of the investigation is a 14-year-old Nova Scotia boy.
A new report says the city could hire staff to inspect inner city parks and playgrounds for needles and knives, but any plans would come with a price tag.
Nearly two months after Manitoba鈥檚 school cellphone ban came into effect, the policy is receiving some mixed signals.
For the second time in as many days, a woman was carjacked in Winnipeg.
Saskatchewan's provincial election saw the upset of several long time Saskatchewan Party MLAs who lost their seats in urban ridings.
The Saskatchewan Party has maintained its hold onto power, battling its way to a fifth consecutive majority government.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders will take to the field Saturday versus the BC Lions in the CFL鈥檚 West Division Semi-final and will mark their return to the post-season for the first time since 2021.
After the Guelph Police Service announced a plan to ramp up enforcement on drug use in downtown Guelph, business owners are sharing their thoughts on the plan.
The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) announced, and then abruptly reversed, a plan to remove garbage bins from classrooms.
Councillors with the City of Kitchener voted in favour of hitting the brakes on a plan that would see more speed cameras installed in front of schools.
A Saskatoon woman is calling for improvements to safety on public transit following a string of bear spray attacks on city buses.
Considering they鈥檙e only a couple years removed from trick-or-treating, the Saskatoon Blades had some fun at practise today.
Six students were seriously injured and one student was airlifted to hospital in Saskatoon following a school bus crash near Tisdale, Sask. on Monday afternoon.
Three suspects arrested in West Nipissing earlier this year were part of a group of five who robbed banks across the province, Ontario Provincial Police said Tuesday.
The owner of a convenience store and gas bar in North Bay鈥檚 northwest end says a road construction project has hurt his business so severely, he might have to close.
In Sudbury on Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was asked when the four-laning of Highway 69 would be completed, a project that has been decades in the making.
Chief Thai Truong of the London Police Service (LPS) was part of a panel discussion following the screening of Dark Highway at FCFF. Truong said trafficking is a 鈥渂ig problem鈥 because 鈥渢here is a lot of money to be made.鈥
On Oct. 22 around 1:20 a.m. police responded to a home in the area of Talbot Street and Huron Street where the homeowner said they received a notification from the doorbell camera.
A forensic pathologist who examined the body of shooting victim Josue Silva concluded that the Western University student died after being shot in the abdomen and losing an excessive amount of blood despite paramedics efforts to save him.
The headliners for the region鈥檚 biggest outdoor country music festival are locked in, and once again, the multi-day event has garnered big names.
Emergency crews in Clearview Township battled flames and heavy smoke Tuesday morning as a fire raged through a large home.
Casino Rama Resort is looking to fill nearly 30 positions as it begins a major refurbishment project.
The Windsor Pickleball Club wants to see new padding installed along walls at the Windsor Family Credit Union (WFCU) after a member fatally hit their head while playing the sport.
Cineplex Entertainment has said inspections found no sign of pests at their Devonshire Mall movie theatre, despite a video circulating on social media suggesting otherwise.
Windsor Police are renewing their call for help from the public to solve a city homicide.
Hours after the premier addressed reporters, the incoming leader of the Opposition held his own news conference dialling back the rhetoric that fired up B.C. Conservative supporters on election night.
Vanita Lindsay has been paid $8,816.20 for a job she has never worked.
The Comox Valley Regional District is issuing an apology to the K鈥檕虂moks First Nation for damaging several of its Cultural Heritage Sites during the construction of the Denman Cross Island Trail.
More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Food Banks Canada's annual Hunger Count report shows more Canadians than ever are resorting to food banks.
RCMP say a Medicine Hat man was killed in a collision between an SUV and a motorcycle in southeast Alberta on Sunday evening.
A tentative agreement has been reached between the City of Lethbridge and more than 900 employees belonging to CUPE Local 70.
Just two days ahead of Halloween, the City of Sault Ste. Marie has awarded several local homes and one business for having the best decorations for the season.
The Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority is issuing a flood outlook statement to residents regarding current watershed conditions.
An early morning complaint of a man slumped over the steering wheel of a minivan with its engine running in Elliot Lake last week led to impaired driving charges and drug seizures.
Police in Newfoundland and Labrador have charged an off-duty RCMP officer for allegedly driving while impaired, following a crash on Sunday.
The human remains recovered off Placentia Bay, N.L., earlier this month have been identified as the coast guard employee who went missing at sea in September.
Teams are facing off in a new eastern Newfoundland hockey league aiming to bring competitive play 鈥 and a few extra years on the ice 鈥 for young women in the province.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
