Hatred on stage at Madison Square Garden

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We might as well start with the low point of last night's Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden. That would be Tony Hinchcliffe, a podcaster who is part of Joe Rogan's circle and was the first speaker of the evening.

“These Latinos also love having babies. Just know that. That's what they do. That's what they do. There is no pulling out. They don't do that. They’re coming in,” he joked. “Just like they did to our country.” A minute later: “I don't know if you know this, but right now there's literally a floating island of trash in the middle of the ocean. Yes, I think it's called Puerto Rico.” It took him a few more minutes to get to the joke about black people loving watermelon. Novel, unusual stuff – for a minstrel show in 1874.

Other speakers were just slightly better. A childhood friend of Donald Trump called Vice President Kamala Harris “the antichrist” and “the devil.” Radio host Sid Rosenberg called her husband Doug Emhoff “a shitty Jew.” Tucker Carlson had a scoff at Harris vying to be “the first low-IQ Samoan-Malaysian former California prosecutor ever elected president.” Stephen Miller went full throttle and declared, “America is for Americans only.” (In 1939, a Nazi rally at the old Madison Square Garden promised to “give America back to the true Americans.”) Melania Trump gave a rare public speech that was, above all, a remembrance served to explain why her speeches are rare.

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Only then did Trump take the stage and call Harris a “person with a very low IQ.” He vowed, “On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history.” He proposed a tax break for family caregivers, but the idea was quickly lost in the flood of offensive comments.

Republicans who aren't die-hard MAGA supporters reacted with dismay and horror – presumably at the political implications, since the content can't possibly surprise them at this point. Politically Playbook, a useful handbook of conventional wisdom, this morning quotes Republicans who worry about alienating Puerto Ricans and Latinos in general. (Yesterday, Harris visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia and received the endorsement of Puerto Rican pop superstar Bad Bunny.)

“Stick to your message,” pleaded Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, a New York Republican who is in a tough re-election campaign. This is ridiculous. This – all of this – is the message of Trump’s campaign. Other Republicans may balk at the crudeness of these comments or worry that they will cost votes, but they made their decision long ago and have stuck with it despite years of bigotry and other ugliness.

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Trump relies on nativism, crude stereotypes and lies about immigrants. He insulted and personally demeaned Harris. He attacked American Jews because they didn't support him. His contempt for Puerto Rico is long-standing, and his indifference after Hurricane Maria in 2017 was one of the most terrible moments of a terrible presidency. He quarreled with the island's elected officials, his government tried to block aid, and he tried to trade American territory for Greenland. (The Trump campaign said that Hinchcliffe's routine “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” which is also absurd. He was invited by Trump to appear at a rally for Trump's campaign and made the joke when he came on Trump's name was written on a lectern.)

The Trump campaign itself might be perfectly happy with how everything turned out. Madison Square Garden, the most famous venue in Manhattan that still fascinates him, was filled to capacity for him. The counter-protests remained muted, even as rally speakers boasted of having penetrated the beating heart of liberalism. (As The New York TimesNate Cohn writes: New York City has accommodated him somewhat, although any hopes that he would win the city or state remain far-fetched.)

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The whole point of the rally was provocation. Trump has long held that it is better for people to talk about him – even when they are outraged – than about anyone else. The record is grim: Trump won in 2016 but lost the popular vote, lost in 2020 and led his party to poor performances in 2018 and 2022. But he seems to think this year could be different. Trump is counting on people thinking about immigration and race to turn to him, even if they disapprove of the policy solutions he offers (or simply don't believe he will implement them).

Some Democrats agree, worrying that the Harris campaign's recent turn toward Trump is a missed opportunity for the Democrat to assert herself positively or refocus on economic issues. The pro-Harris super PAC Future Forward warned in an email that “an attack on Trump's fascism is not that convincing,” while Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Harris deputy, warned that the rally was a “bait.” .

From an electoral standpoint, it may not be helpful for Harris to focus on last night's offensive comments. But as a summary of what Trump stands for as a candidate and what he would bring to office, the rally was an effective medium for his final message.