Donald J. Trump and his allies are trumpeting his chances of victory in the final stages of the 2024 campaign. But there are signs publicly and privately that the former president and his team are worried that his opponents’ portrayal of him as a racist and fascist is getting through to some voters.
That fear became evident after Trump’s six-hour event at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Sunday’s inflammatory speech included an opening act by a comedian known for his history of racist jokes, deriding Puerto Rico as a “floating island.” The amount of garbage,” he said of a black man cutting up a watermelon.
Backlash from Puerto Rican celebrities and performers quickly spread on social media, and the Trump campaign issued an unusual statement of defense distancing itself from the offensive comments. Which district could be the deciding factor in a close race, and the battleground state of Pennsylvania’s large Puerto Rican community was on the minds of Trump supporters.
Trump campaign senior adviser Daniel Alvarez said in a statement that the Puerto Rico joke “does not reflect the views of President Trump or his campaign.”
Trump’s ethos has generally been one of never apologizing, never admitting mistakes, and trying to ignore controversy. Mr. Alvarez’s statement marks a rare break from that tradition, reflecting renewed concerns that Mr. Trump risks reminding undecided voters of the dark tendencies of his political campaign in the final stages of the 2024 campaign. Ta.
Some of Trump’s Republican allies appear to have similar concerns, and were quick to criticize the joke and the comedian who made it, Tony Hinchcliffe.
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