CNN —
Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday denounced the tone of former President Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden the night before, saying it emphasized the campaign’s case against him.
“I think Donald Trump’s event last night at Madison Square Garden really highlighted the points that I’ve been making throughout this campaign,” Harris told reporters before heading to Michigan. he said. “He is focused and indeed obsessed with his grievances, himself and dividing this country.”
At Sunday’s event in New York City, the former president mostly stuck to familiar lines, but his opening act included racist and vulgar attacks on Harris, Democrats, immigrants and even Puerto Rico. The move drew angry condemnation from Democrats and some Republicans.
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s comments about Puerto Rico caused the most backlash.
“There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this, but right now there are literally floating islands of trash in the middle of the ocean,” he said.
“I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” the comedian and podcast host said in the city, which has the largest Puerto Rican population in the continental United States.
The line was well-received by Trump supporters who filled the historic arena in midtown Manhattan, but the Trump campaign sought to distance itself from Hinchcliffe, who was an invited guest like the other speakers.
“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or his campaign,” Trump campaign spokesperson Daniel Alvarez said in a statement to CNN Sunday night.
Harris, who visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in North Philadelphia on Sunday, said he would prioritize the island on Monday.
“I also announced a plan for the opportunity economy in general, but also includes specific goals, including a task force focused on Puerto Rico’s needs,” she said.
The vice president also said he was “very proud” to have celebrities like Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny supporting him. He signaled support for Harris on Sunday night, shortly after Hinchcliffe attended a Trump rally, sharing a clip of the vice president’s plans for the island on social media.
Despite the Republican backlash against Hinchcliffe, Harris said Trump’s message Sunday night was nothing new.
“What he did last night wasn’t a discovery. It’s the same as always, and probably more vivid than usual,” Harris said. “Donald Trump is doing everything he can to get Americans to blame each other and stoke the fuel of hatred and division. That’s why people are tired of him.”
President Joe Biden also condemned President Trump’s Sunday events, calling them “embarrassing” and “worse than any president’s” after voting in Delaware on Monday.
“It’s worse than any president, but we’re getting used to it. That’s why this election is so important.”
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s Greg Krieg contributed to this report.
