Highlights: Donald Trump criticizes Kamala Harris, steers clear of racism and Jan. 6 discussions
WASHINGTON – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump engaged in selective commentary during his rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
In the 80-minute event in Allentown, Trump refrained from addressing recent racism allegations related to his weekend gathering at Madison Square Garden but did acknowledge and commend Latino and Puerto Rican voters.
He also sidestepped a detailed response to Vice President Kamala Harris’ speech, where she labeled him a danger to democracy and implicated him in the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
Instead, he repeated his usual criticisms of Harris and motivated his audience to vote. “We’re going to win the whole deal,” Trump asserted.
Trump and his allies also criticized Joe Biden after he sparked Republican outrage by seemingly targeting Trump supporters. The president later clarified that his comments were aimed at offensive remarks made during Trump’s weekend rally.
Here are YSL News’s key insights from Trump’s campaign appearance:
Trump: I have strong support from Puerto Ricans and Latinos
While failing to address a comedian’s derogatory comments about Puerto Rico made at his Madison Square Garden event, Trump highlighted the Latino community by inviting notable Latino figures to speak at the Allentown rally.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., along with Zoraida Buxo, the “shadow senator” for Puerto Rico—who lacks voting power in Congress—praised Trump in front of the audience.
“I am thrilled to have support from Latinos like never before nobody appreciates our Latino and Puerto Rican communities more than I do,” Trump stated. “I’ve accomplished more for Puerto Rico than any other president.”
Trump’s administration faced intense scrutiny for its handling of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which resulted in nearly 3,000 fatalities and widespread devastation in Puerto Rico.
A report from the inspector general indicated that internal conflicts within the Republican administration caused delays in the distribution of funds authorized by Congress.
‘Never heard of him’
In a Tuesday interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump claimed he is unfamiliar with the comedian who made the inappropriate jokes about Puerto Rico.
During a pre-speech segment at Sunday’s rally, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe remarked: “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
Hinchcliffe and others made various offensive jokes targeting Latino individuals, Black people, and women.
When asked about Hinchcliffe in his interview, Trump stated he had “never heard of him.” He further mentioned, “Somebody said a comedian joked about Puerto Rico or something, and I have no idea who it was, never saw him, and do not want to.” When Hannity asked if Trump wished the comedian hadn’t performed, he responded that while he wasn’t sure if it was a “big deal,” he added, “I don’t want anyone making nasty or foolish jokes. He probably should not have been there.”
Latinos are crucial in Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania is key for Trump
While Latino leaders condemned Trump’s “garbage” comments and other insults from the rally, the choice of Allentown—home to a large Latino population—was particularly significant for his campaign.
According to Republican strategist Mike Madrid, Pennsylvania has approximately 450,000 Puerto Rican voters, with around 33,500 residing in Allentown. These figures are substantial enough to sway the election in Pennsylvania, a state critical for both Trump and Harris’s campaigns.
“The racial slurs made during Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden could jeopardize his chances in the election,” stated Madrid, author of “The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy.”
‘Garbage time’
During the Allentown rally, Rubio capitalized on Joe Biden’s comments where the president seemed to refer to Trump’s supporters as “garbage,” which drew negative reactions from the crowd.
Trump concurred, labeling Biden’s remarks as “terrible” and contrasted them with Hillary Clinton’s 2016 description of some Trump supporters as “deplorables.”
Biden clarified that he was only referring to the offending comedian, releasing a transcript later to explain that his comments pertained to Hinchcliffe’s routine.
“His demonization of Latinos is inexcusable,” the president emphasized on X. “That’s all I meant. The comments at that rally do not represent who we are as a nation.”
No mention of Jan. 6
Although Trump made various criticisms of Harris during the rally, he chose not to comment on her speech,
There were 75,000 attendees at The Ellipse, the same location where Trump spoke on January 6, 2021, just before a group of his supporters invaded the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.
“He stood right here almost four years ago and incited an armed mob to storm the United States Capitol,” Harris stated. She remarked that if Trump returns as president, he has indicated intentions to pardon numerous individuals found guilty of crimes related to January 6.
While Trump was in Pennsylvania, he chose not to address his role in the January 6 events but criticized allies of Harris for labeling him as a Nazi and a fascist.
“It’s desperation,” Trump commented, attributing these criticisms to what he and others have often referred to as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Trump comments on crowd numbers and polls
Not only did Trump challenge Harris’ comments on Tuesday, but he also baselessly accused her campaign of bringing in crowds for her speech in Washington.
Additionally, he mocked the celebrities attending Harris’ campaign events, including Beyoncé, who appeared with the vice president at a Texas rally last week.
“She didn’t perform,” Trump quipped.
As Harris addressed an estimated 75,000 on The Ellipse in Washington, Trump spoke in a venue designed for 10,000 concert-goers, and there were noticeable empty seats as time went on.
The former president also inflated his standing in the 2024 election polls during the Pennsylvania rally, asserting he had significant advantages in states like Pennsylvania and Michigan.
However, reality shows competitive races in all seven battleground states according to the polls.
Regardless, Trump encouraged his supporters, stating: “We will defeat Kamala Harris and the media.”
Trump has often stated he will only discuss positive poll results and dismiss negative ones. He has questioned the accuracy of polls, even telling podcaster Joe Rogan the previous week: “I have never known anyone who got a call from a pollster.”
Trump sets the stage for claims of election misconduct
During his rally, Trump made incorrect assertions about Democrats engaging in election fraud ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The former president claimed that one county has already been caught in such activities, although he misrepresented the situation. Officials in Lancaster County stated they are investigating about 2,500 voter registration forms flagged for possible fraud, but no verdicts have been reached.
He also discussed other unverified allegations from different parts of Pennsylvania.
Trump has long asserted, without evidence, that fraudulent activities affected the 2020 election results. Post-Election Day four years ago, he initiated a legal campaign across multiple states, but his claims of fraud were universally dismissed by the courts.
Currently, he faces federal and state charges in Georgia related to his purported efforts to change the election results.
The final days of Trump’s rallies
As Trump addressed his supporters in Allentown, he reflected on his 2024 campaign, telling the audience he is now in the concluding week of rallies that have characterized his political journey since he first declared his candidacy in June 2015.
Win or lose, the 78-year-old Trump professed that this would be his last campaign. He reminisced about how his team will shift to other campaigns in four years and expressed how much he will miss the energetic rallies that have played a significant role in shaping his three presidential campaigns.
He remarked, “It has been a unique journey for all of us.”