Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York began with a series of profane attacks on Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, other Democratic leaders, Puerto Rico and migrants sheltering in the city.

Local Trump loyalists, who made up many of the event’s speakers’ list ahead of the former president, took the opportunity to spew familiar grievances at some of the former president’s favorite targets. One failed Republican House candidate, for example, labeled Harris “the antichrist.”

The rally began with Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian and podcast host, assailing Puerto Rico – in the city that’s home to the largest Puerto Rican population on the US mainland. About 500,000 Puerto Ricans also live in battleground Pennsylvania, where Harris campaigned on Sunday.

“There’s a lot going on, like, I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” he said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

The line was well-received by Trump supporters who filled Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan. Trump has recently taken to calling the US “a garbage can for the world” when he rails against undocumented immigrants.

Harris’ campaign seized on the moment, quickly clipping the video and posting it on social media channels. The vice president on Sunday visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in North Philadelphia, where she discussed her vision for the island along with plans to lower costs and create opportunity in Puerto Rican communities on the mainland.

Pop superstar Bad Bunny, whose album Un Verano Sin Ti was the most-streamed album globally in 2023, with 4.5 billion plays on streaming platform Spotify, posted a video of Harris spelling out her plan for Puerto Rico to his 45 million Instagram followers shortly after Hinchcliffe left the stage.

Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, whose reelection campaign depends on sizable support from the state’s Puerto Rican community, joined the backlash, writing of the “joke” on X, “It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans!”

Hinchcliffe, also on social media, addressed the furor, saying that his critics “have no sense of humor.”

“I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone … watch the whole set,” he wrote.

He was followed by, among others, Republican politician David Rem, who called Harris “the devil” and “the antichrist” while waving around a cross.

“She is the antichrist,” Rem wailed, before saying he planned to run for mayor.

Another speaker, radio host Sid Rosenberg — who once occupied a plum seat beside Don Imus on WFAN, the area’s largest sports station — started off by attacking Clinton, the Democratic nominee from eight years ago.

“She is some sick bastard, that Hillary Clinton, huh?,” he said, channeling Trump’s own past remarks. “What a sick son of a b*tch.”

Rosenberg then turned his attention to migrants now living in New York City – and his fury over the local government’s attempts to feed and house them.

“You got homeless and veterans – Americans, Americans – sleeping on their own feces on a bench in Central Park,” Rosenberg said. “But the f**king illegals, they get whatever they want, don’t they?”