Trump’s Madison Square Garden event turns into a rally with crude and racist insults

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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Updated 28 October 2024
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Trump’s Madison Square Garden event turns into a rally with crude and racist insults

  • Trump’s childhood friend David Rem referred to Trump rival Kamala Harris as “the Antichrist” and “the devil”
  • Astand-up comedian made lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people, all key constituencies in the election just nine days away
  • Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson called Harris “a Samoan, Malaysian, low-IQ former California prosecutor”

NEW YORK: Donald Trump took the stage Sunday night at New York’s 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 Vice President Kamala Harris and other critics of the former president.
The Republican nominee began by asking the same questions he’s asked at the start of every recent rally: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” The crowd responded with a resounding “No!”
“This election is a choice between whether we’ll have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we’ll begin the greatest years in the history of our country,” 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.
“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,” said comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose joke was immediately criticized by Harris’ campaign as it competes with Trump to win over Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania and other swing states. Shortly after Hinchcliffe’s appearance, music superstar Bad Bunny, who is from Puerto Rico, endorsed Harris.




A person dressed like a viking walks outside of Madison Square Garden during a rally for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in New York on Oct. 27, 2024. (REUTERS)

Trump’s childhood friend David Rem, meanwhile, referred to Harris as “the Antichrist” and “the devil.” Businessman Grant Cardone told the crowd that Harris ”and her pimp handlers will destroy our country.” And former Fox News host Tucker Carlson called Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, “a Samoan, Malaysian, low-IQ former California prosecutor.”
Trump’s closing argument turns to spectacle
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’s 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 “sandwich generation” 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 US citizen and saying that the day he takes office, “The migrant invasion of our country ends.”
The rally was an amped-up version of the RNC
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: “Trump is the only man that can fix this country today.”




Hulk Hogan takes the stage during a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)

While some Democrats and pundits have questioned Trump’s 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 “broke” the country and that Trump “will fix it.” Rallygoers hours beforehand waved signs with the words “Trump will fix it.”
Some Democrats, arguing that Trump is a “fascist,” 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 “reenacting” the 1939 event.
“Hey guys, they’re now scrambling and trying to call us Nazis and fascists,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, who draped a sparkly “MAGA” jacket over the lectern as she spoke. “And 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?”
Declared Hogan in his characteristic raspy growl: “I don’t see no stinkin’ Nazis in here.”
Trump has denounced the four criminal indictments brought against him as politically motivated. He has ramped up his denunciations in recent weeks of “enemies from within,” naming domestic political rivals, and suggested he would use the military to go after them. Harris, in turn, has called Trump a “fascist.”
The arena was full hours before Trump was scheduled to speak. Outside the arena, the sidewalks were overflowing with Trump supporters in red “Make America Great Again” hats. There was a heavy security presence. Streets were blocked off and access to Penn Station was restricted.
In the crowd was Philip D’Agostino, 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 “the world’s most famous arena.”
“It just goes to show ya that he has a bigger following of any man that has ever lived,” D’Agostino said.
A New Yorker returns home
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’s 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.




Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump looks on during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, in New York on Oct. 27, 2024. (REUTERS)

The rally is one of a series of detours Trump has made from battleground states, including a recent rally in Coachella, California — best known for the famous music festival named after the town — 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’s 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 Beyoncé 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.
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.


European leaders condemn killing of Israeli embassy staffers in Washington

Updated 6 sec ago
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European leaders condemn killing of Israeli embassy staffers in Washington

  • Two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington were fatally shot while leaving an event at a Jewish museum

Germany and France on Thursday strongly condemned the killing of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington, denouncing the act as anti-Semitic violence.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he was “shocked” by the shooting, which occurred late Wednesday. “There is no justification for anti-Semitic violence,” he posted on X.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot echoed the outrage, calling the incident “an abhorrent act of antisemitic barbarity.”
“The murder of two members of the Israeli embassy near the Jewish Museum in Washington is an abhorrent act of antisemitic barbarity,” Barrot wrote on X. “Nothing can justify such violence.”


Netanyahu says ordered enhanced security at Israel missions worldwide

Updated 17 min 2 sec ago
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Netanyahu says ordered enhanced security at Israel missions worldwide

  • The measure came after a gunman who shouted shot dead two embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he has ordered enhanced security measures at Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide after a gunman who shouted shot dead two embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington.
“I have instructed to enhance security arrangements at Israeli missions around the world and to increase protection for state representatives,” he said.
“We are witnessing the terrible price of anti-Semitism and the wild incitement against the State of Israel.”
Gunfire broke out late Wednesday outside the Capital Jewish Museum in the center of Washington as the venue held a social event for young professionals and diplomatic staff.
A video clip circulating on social media showed a young bearded man in a jacket and white shirt shouting “free, free Palestine” as he was led away by police.
The victims were a young couple who planned to get married, according to the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was “devastated” by the fatal attack but said the two countries would “stand united in defense of our people.”
“This is a despicable act of hatred, of anti-Semitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy,” Herzog said.
“America and Israel will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar too pledged that Israel would not give into “terror,” saying he was “horrified” by the attack.
“Israeli representatives around the world are constantly exposed to heightened risk — especially in these times,” he said.
“We are in close contact with American authorities. Israel will not surrender to terror.”


UK court puts last-minute block on a deal to hand Chagos islands to Mauritius

Updated 4 min 34 sec ago
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UK court puts last-minute block on a deal to hand Chagos islands to Mauritius

  • In 1965 Britain detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory
  • The agreement was due to be signed Thursday morning at a virtual ceremony

LONDON: A British court blocked the UK from transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, to Mauritius, hours before the agreement was due to be signed on Thursday.

The UK has agreed to hand sovereignty to Mauritius of the Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia. The UK would then lease back the base for at least 99 years.

US President Donald Trump’s administration, which was consulted on the deal, gave its approval, but finalizing the agreement was delayed by last-minute negotiations over costs.

The agreement was due to be signed Thursday morning at a virtual ceremony.

But a High Court judge granted an injunction in the early hours of Thursday putting a hold on the agreement. It came in response to a claim by two of the original residents of the islands.

The Chagos islanders, many of whom relocated to Britain in the 1960s and 70s to make way for the Diego Garcia base, say they were not consulted over the agreement

In 1965 Britain detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius — a former colony that became independent three years later — to create the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Financial details of the deal have not been set out.

Media reports have put the cost to Britain at £9 billion.


Somalia climate shocks and aid cuts create perfect storm

Updated 22 May 2025
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Somalia climate shocks and aid cuts create perfect storm

  • After his home in the Somali capital was battered by torrential rains, Mohamed Abdukadir Teesto worries about his future at a time when local and foreign aid is vanishing

MOGADISHU: After his home in the Somali capital was battered by torrential rains, Mohamed Abdukadir Teesto worries about his future at a time when local and foreign aid is vanishing.
The Horn of Africa nation is among the most vulnerable to climate change, according to the United Nations, and in the last five years has experienced both the worst drought in 40 years and once-in-a-century flooding.
The more severe weather compounds the insecurity many Somalis face after decades of violent insurgency and political instability.
“We have cleaned our house using our bare hands,” Teesto, 43, told AFP, saying neither international agencies nor the government had offered any assistance.
“Some families who had their houses destroyed are still displaced and cannot come back,” he said. “If it rains again, we will have the same situation.”
Teesto is among around 24,000 people in the Banadir region, which includes Mogadishu, impacted by flooding this month that killed at least 17.
Humanitarian work in Somalia was already under-funded before the halt of aid programs under the US Agency for International Development (USAID), made by President Donald Trump upon his return to the White House.
The UN says its humanitarian needs for the year — estimated at $1.4 billion — are only 12 percent funded so far.
“This can get very, very bad, very quickly,” said Sara Cuevas Gallardo, spokesperson for the World Food Programme, which handles roughly 90 percent of food security assistance in Somalia.
“We don’t know if we have the capacity,” she said.
This month, CARE International said Somalia had 1.8 million severely malnourished children under five, with 479,000 at risk of dying without urgent help.
Cuevas Gallardo said Somalia could see a return to the situation in 2020-2023 when it was on the brink of famine.
The difference being that now “we don’t have the funds to actually act when we have to,” she said.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) has repeatedly warned about the link between climate change and conflict.
Recent attacks are stoking fears of a resurgence by the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab, adding to the displacement and vulnerability caused by weather problems.
Globally, the main driver of hunger is conflict, Cuevas Gallardo said.
“If it’s mixed with the uncertainty of climate shocks in Somalia, then it just equals more food needs, more hunger, more people on the move, and us being unable to respond to that uncertainty as well.”
The WFP is not alone in its warnings.
British charity Save the Children said last week that funding shortfalls would force it to shut more than a quarter of the health and nutrition facilities it runs in Somalia in the coming weeks.
They include every single one in the central city of Baidoa.
It shared the story of Fatima and her one-year-old son, who fled their village after successive droughts damaged crops and killed their livestock.
“If we were not able to get medicines and nutrition support here, we would have no other option but to see our children dying in front of us,” Save the Children quoted the 25-year-old as saying.
The charity said that the current period always sees an uptick in malnourishment but this year it expects an 11-percent increase in malnutrition, leaving remaining facilities “stretched to breaking point.”
At a clinic in Baidoa, doctor Mustafa Mohammed said they have already seen a surge in patients and that closure would be grave.
“There is nowhere else for these children to go.”


Philippine president calls for all Cabinet secretaries to resign after election setbacks

Updated 22 May 2025
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Philippine president calls for all Cabinet secretaries to resign after election setbacks

  • At least 21 Cabinet secretaries either immediately submitted their resignations or expressed their readiness to do so
  • Ferdinand Marcos Jr.: ‘This is not about personalities – it’s about performance, alignment and urgency’

MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked all of his Cabinet secretaries to submit resignations on Thursday in a “bold reset” of his administration following last week’s mid-term elections, which saw more opposition candidates win crucial Senate seats.
Marcos, the 67-year-old son of a late Philippine dictator overthrown in 1986, won the presidency in the deeply divided Southeast Asian country by a landslide in 2022 in a stunning political comeback as he made a steadfast call for national unity. But his equally popular vice presidential running mate, Sara Duterte, later broke from him in a falling out that has sparked intense political discord.
With support from treaty ally the United States and other friendly countries, Marcos emerged as the most vocal critic of China ‘s growing aggression in the disputed South China Sea while contending with an array of longstanding domestic issues, including inflation — and delayed fulfillment of a campaign promise to bring down the price of rice — as well as many reports of kidnappings and other crimes.
“This is not business as usual,” Marcos was cited as saying in a government statement. “The people have spoken and they expect results — not politics, not excuses. We hear them and we will act.”
Marcos called for the “courtesy resignation of all Cabinet secretaries in a decisive move to recalibrate his administration following the results of the recent elections,” the government statement said.
“The request for courtesy resignations is aimed at giving the president the elbow room to evaluate the performance of each department and determine who will continue to serve in line with his administration’s recalibrated priorities,” the government said.
At least 21 Cabinet secretaries led by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin either immediately submitted their resignations or expressed their readiness to do so.
“This is not about personalities — it’s about performance, alignment and urgency,” Marcos said. “Those who have delivered and continue to deliver will be recognized. But we cannot afford to be complacent. The time for comfort zones is over.”
Government services will remain uninterrupted during the transition, the government said, adding that “with this bold reset, the Marcos administration signals a new phase — sharper, faster and fully focused on the people’s most pressing needs.”
Five out of the 12 Senate seats contested in the mid-term elections were won by allies of Sara Duterte or her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been arrested and detained by the International Criminal Court in The Hague in the Netherlands. The elder Duterte, a staunch critic of Marcos, was accused of committing crimes against humanity over a brutal anti-drugs crackdown he launched that left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead.
Marcos-endorsed senatorial candidates won five Senate seats while two other seats were unexpectedly won by two liberal democrats associated with the late former President Benigno Aquino III, whose family has long been at odds with the Marcoses.
Voting for half of the 24-member Senate is crucial because the government body will hold an impeachment trial for Sara Duterte in July over an array of criminal allegations, including corruption and a public threat to assassinate Marcos, his wife and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. She made those threats in an online news conference in November but later issued a vague denial that she wanted the president killed.
Sara Duterte is facing a separate criminal complaint for her threats against the Marcoses and Romualdez.
Most of the seats in the House were won by candidates allied with Marcos and his cousin, Romualdez, in the May 12 elections, which many saw as a preview to the presidential elections scheduled for 2028.