Trump Calls New York Rally a “Lovefest,” Disregarding Joke Controversy

Donald Trump characterized his New York City rally on Sunday as an “absolute lovefest,” disregarding bipartisan demands for a personal apology following widespread offense caused by a comedian’s joke during the event. The Republican White House nominee stated it was “an honour to be involved” in the Madison Square Garden rally, though he separated himself from the stand-up comedian who, in a routine, referred to Puerto Rico as “an island of garbage.” According to opinion polls, Mr. Trump and his Democratic opponent, US Vice-President Kamala Harris, are closely matched with only one week remaining until the 5 November election. Both candidates are actively seeking to gain the support of Latino voters in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state where more than 470,000 Puerto Ricans reside. On Tuesday evening, Mr. Trump is scheduled to campaign in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a town with a significant Latino population. Members of the Puerto Rican diaspora within the United States have voiced their indignation regarding Tony Hinchliffe’s performance. Several notable Puerto Ricans, some of whom are allies of Mr. Trump, have called upon the Republican candidate to publicly repudiate the joke. Angel Cintron, president of Puerto Rico’s Republican Party, was among those who spoke out, quoted by the Associated Press news agency as stating the joke was “disgraceful, ignorant and totally reprehensible”. During an interview with ABC News on Tuesday, Mr. Trump further distanced himself from Hinchcliffe, remarking, “I don’t know him, someone put him up there. I don’t know who he is.” From his resort in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, Mr. Trump reiterated that the rally constituted an “absolute lovefest,” adding, “The love in that room. It was breathtaking.” Allies of Mr. Trump have countered Democrats’ criticisms, alleging that actor George Lopez delivered an insensitive joke concerning Mexicans while speaking at a Kamala Harris rally in Arizona during the past weekend. Also over the weekend, Ms. Harris introduced a new policy framework for Puerto Rico, pledging economic development and enhanced disaster relief efforts. She accused Mr. Trump of having “abandoned and insulted” the island during Hurricane Maria in 2017. The Trump campaign responded by asserting that his administration reconstructed the U.S. territory’s infrastructure following the storm, providing billions of dollars in grant funding to the island. At a separate event in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, Mr. Trump informed a Puerto Rican voter that his administration “helped you through a lot of bad storms,” adding, “I think no president’s done more for Puerto Rico than I have.” In an apparent effort to move past the controversy, the Republican candidate criticized Ms. Harris on matters of border security and inflation, contending that “on issue after issue, she broke it” and “I’m going to fix it and fix it very fast.”