Hulk Hogan, Dr. Phil McGraw, UFC CEO Dana White and Tesla/SpaceX/X chief Elon Musk spoke in support of Donald Trump at a rally hosted by the Republican presidential candidate on Sunday at New York's Madison Square Garden , criticized for her racist comments and insults.
Hogan, returning to the venue where he performed years ago as a professional wrestler, appeared 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. During his speech he spat on stage, repeatedly flexed his muscles and called the audience “Trumpomaniacs” during the event.
Hogan declared with his signature hoarse growl, “I don't see any filthy Nazis here. I don't see any smelly domestic terrorists in here anymore. The only thing I see here is a group of hard working men and women who are real Americans, brother.
He also blamed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris for inflation and said “she acts like she's the victim. And then all of a sudden, he flips, flips, twists and turns things, and acts like he's damn near going to be here, but we all know Trump is the only man who can fix this country today.
McGraw also took the stage, arguing that those who call Trump a bully are wrong because there is no “power imbalance” between him and his opponents.
“When he's not there, it's just called debate, and he's just better at it than anyone else,” he said. “It's called debate, it's called arguing, even name-calling, but it's not bullying unless there's an imbalance of power. Whoever you talk to, they have a microphone, they wear big boy pants, they have a stage. He's just better at it.”
McGraw added that when Trump's opponents call him “Hitler” or a fascist, it may be “ugly,” but it's not bullying either.
“The last thing he needs is celebrity endorsement,” McGraw added. “What the hell do I know? I know I'm not a celebrity, to begin with, and celebrities don't know anything about politics or politics,” he added to applause. “So the only difference between me and them is that I'm willing to admit it. So why am I here ?I'm here to speak out and defend the people who have declared their support for Donald J. Trump, or are discovered, or want to do so but are too intimidated. They are being canceled, intimidated, marginalized, excluded or even fired or boycotted.
White took the stage to point out that he has been friends with Trump for decades. He said anyone who votes for Harris supports the “status quo” and also talked about inflation and his support for cracking down on illegal immigration.
Musk took the stage wearing all-black clothing, including a black hat that read “Make America Great Again.” “I'm not just MAGA; I'm Dark Gothic MAGA,” Musk said, referring to his outfit. Musk, who has spent tens of millions of dollars reviving his campaign, added that he could cut $2 trillion from the current US budget.
Melania Trump, the former first lady, was a surprise guest at Sunday's rally, introducing her husband, who took the stage two hours late. His remarks included a nod to the assassination attempts against him.
“If you become president of the United States, you have a very great chance of dying,” he said. “I never knew when I was racing. I never thought about it, but here we are and I'm okay with it. And I would rather be here than anywhere else in the world. It's called a very dangerous profession. But if we win, our enemies will no longer laugh.”
The lineup also included vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Tucker Carlson, former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Staten Island activist Scott LoBaido.
During the event, several speakers brutally insulted Harris, who is vying to become the first Black woman and woman to win the presidency.
Stand-up comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and blacks – all key constituencies in elections just nine days away.
“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. I think it's called Puerto Rico,” said Hinchcliffe, whose line was immediately criticized by Harris' campaign as it competes with Trump to win over Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania and other swing states.
The final message Trump delivered Sunday was that Harris “broke” the country and that Trump “will fix it.” Rally attendees hours earlier waved signs with the words “Trump will fix it.”
“Hey guys, now they're trying to call us Nazis and fascists,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump's lawyers, who draped a glittering “MAGA” jacket over the lectern as she spoke. «And do you know what they say, guys? It's very scary. They say we will go after them and try to put them in prison. Well, aren't you that rich?
Trump has denounced the four criminal charges brought against him as politically motivated. In recent weeks he has stepped up his denunciations of “internal enemies”, naming domestic political rivals, and suggested he would use the army to pursue them. Harris, in turn, called Trump a “fascist.”
The arena, which some news outlets said was sold out, was packed hours before Trump spoke. Outside the arena, the sidewalks overflowed with Trump supporters wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats. There was a heavy security presence. Roads were blocked and access to Penn Station was limited.
The Democratic organization Battleground New York released a statement Sunday evening about the rally, calling the speeches “a torrent of insanity, racism and xenophobia.”
“Whether targeting Puerto Rico with obscene hatred, continuing to claim that the 2020 election was stolen, or trying to lay the groundwork to say the same in 2024, this rally was an obscene display of pure bigotry before to millions of people,” the group said. he said. “It's time to turn the page in this political era that has seen abortion bans, the mainstreaming of outlandish conspiracy theories and an endless stream of nonsense that does nothing to solve working people's problems.”
The rally is part 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 city – and one in May on Jersey Shore. This summer he campaigned in the South Bronx.
To reach them, Trump 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 french fries and served fans through the drive-thru window. The 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-conflict states for major events intended to convey a national message. She appeared in Houston with music superstar Beyoncé on Friday to talk about reproductive rights and will give her closing speech on Tuesday from the Ellipse in Washington, where Trump spoke before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Trump often compares himself to the country's greatest entertainers. The former reality star has spoken at length about wanting to hold a rally there in interviews and private conversations.
Beyond the national spotlight and the allure of appearing on one of the world's most famous stages, Republicans in the state say the rally will also help disadvantaged candidates. New York is home to a handful of competitive congressional races that could determine which party controls the House next year.
Trump also used the shutdown as a major fundraising opportunity as he continues to seriously slow down Harris in the money race.
New York hasn't 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 described it as crime-ridden and overrun by violent immigrant gangs who have taken control of Fifth and Madison Avenues and occupied Times Square.
Trump has a complicated history with where he built his business empire and made him a tabloid and reality TV star. Its residents indicted him last year on 34 counts of falsifying business records. In that case he was found guilty and held liable in civil court for commercial fraud and sexual abuse.