"Trump Defends Controversial Madison Square Garden Rally as a 'Lovefest' Amid Growing Backlash"

Former President Donald Trump calls his recent Madison Square Garden rally a "lovefest," despite backlash over controversial comments made during the event. Allies and critics alike express concern about the divisive language used, particularly a comedian's derogatory remarks about Puerto Rico.

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday addressed criticism of his recent rally at Madison Square Garden, describing the event as an "absolute lovefest" and declaring it was his "honor to be involved." Despite the backlash sparked by disparaging and divisive remarks made during the event, Trump insisted that the rally was a remarkable experience, stating that "nobody has ever seen anything like it."

The comments come amid concern within Trump’s inner circle regarding some of the language used at the event, especially a comedian's remark describing Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage." This rhetoric has led to worries among his allies, who fear that such remarks could hurt Trump politically, particularly among Puerto Rican voters influential in battleground states like Pennsylvania. Trump, however, did not directly address the criticism over this particular comment.

Reflecting on the event to supporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said, “The love in that room—it was breathtaking. We could have filled the venue many times over with those who couldn’t get in." He claimed that political veterans had remarked there had "never been an event so beautiful."

Trump elaborated, saying, "It was a lovefest, an absolute lovefest, and my honor to be a part of it." However, CNN reported that several Trump allies expressed frustration at the tone and language used, noting that the night was marred by violent and vulgar rhetoric, prompting concerns about the rally's impact on the campaign’s message.

Trump also pushed back against comparisons drawn by some Democrats between his rally and a Nazi event held at Madison Square Garden in 1939. Ahead of the rally, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris, commented that Trump’s campaign “knows exactly what they’re doing there.”

"People started saying, 'Well, the Nazis used Madison Square Garden in 1939,'" Trump said in response. “That’s terrible to say, isn’t it? Madison Square Garden has been used by many people, many times. But nobody has ever had a crowd like that or seen love like that. That was love in the room, and it was love for our country.”

One of the most criticized comments from the rally came from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who opened the night by referring to Puerto Rico in a disparaging manner. The comment was immediately condemned by Harris’ campaign, which used the incident in an advertisement that characterized Trump as having "abandoned" the U.S. territory after Hurricane Maria in 2017. Trump’s own campaign distanced him from the comment in a statement shortly after the event.

“These are fellow citizens he’s talking about,” former President Barack Obama said during a Harris rally on Monday. “They’re your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers. Their kids go to school with your kids. These are Americans.” In response, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny shared his support for Harris by posting a clip of her plans for the island on social media, amplifying criticism of Trump.

While some Republicans sought to downplay the backlash, Trump on Tuesday claimed he was unfamiliar with the comedian and did not hear the remarks, saying, "I don’t know him; someone put him up there. I don’t know who he is," he told ABC News.

Ohio Senator and Trump running mate JD Vance dismissed criticism of the joke about Puerto Rico as a "fake outrage cycle," adding, "A comedian told a joke, and I don’t think that’s newsworthy. What’s newsworthy is that Americans can’t afford their groceries because Kamala Harris has been a terrible vice president," he stated at an event in Racine, Wisconsin.

Despite the controversies, Trump continued to criticize the Biden administration on Tuesday, focusing on economic issues and border security. “We’re going to fight like hell for the next seven days,” he told the crowd, which responded with chants of “fight.” Trump referenced this just moments after discussing a recent assassination attempt he survived in Pennsylvania in July.