Trump’s MAGA Lollapalooza: A Chaotic Display of Loyalty and Controversy
On a vibrant Sunday at Madison Square Garden, Donald Trump’s MAGA Lollapalooza kicked off with a dramatic touch, featuring a memorable scene from the 1970 biopic “Patton” displayed on the massive jumbotron. The image of George C. Scott, portraying the legendary World War II General George S. Patton, resonated as he delivered a fierce monologue against the Nazis: “We’re not just going to shoot the bastards. We’re going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks.” While it was refreshing to hear strong anti-Hitler sentiments at a Trump event, the aggressive rhetoric of total war seemed unsettling in the context of a campaign increasingly focused on dismantling perceived internal enemies.
The event, which featured a lineup showcasing nearly all prominent figures within the MAGA sphere, unfolded over six hours of performances and speeches. It commenced with a set from Texas comedian and podcaster Tony Hinchcliffe, whose unabashedly racist humor took many by surprise, especially in light of the Trump campaign’s usual attempt to cloak its bigotry with a thin veneer of plausible deniability. “These Latinos, they love making babies too,” he quipped, continuing, “There’s no pulling out, they don’t do that, they come inside, just like they did to our country.” With a cringe-worthy punchline about a “floating island of garbage” referred to as Puerto Rico, and a jarring joke about Black individuals and watermelons during Halloween, Hinchcliffe’s performance set a troubling tone.
This rally was arguably one of the more disconcerting events in Trump’s history of rallies, an assertion that carries weight given his past gatherings. Grant Cardone, a businessman and prominent Scientologist, took the stage and proclaimed, “we need to slaughter these other people,” while disparaging Kamala Harris and her associates as “pimp handlers.” Another speaker, David Rem, who claimed to be a childhood friend of Trump, displayed a crucifix and labeled Harris as “the Antichrist,” before announcing his candidacy for mayor. Sid Rosenberg, a radio personality, labeled Democrats as “a bunch of degenerates,” prefacing his remarks with a crude expletive. Throughout, Trump once again characterized Democrats as “the enemy from within.” The atmosphere, enhanced by the stadium’s vibrant red lighting and the relentless heavy metal music echoing through the venue, created an almost surreal carnival-like ambiance reminiscent of a hellish pro wrestling match.
While it’s doubtful that the event significantly swayed public opinion in Trump’s favor—after all, New York is not, as Vivek Ramaswamy claimed from the stage, a swing state—Hinchcliffe’s derogatory comments towards a crucial voting demographic inadvertently provided an advantage to the Harris campaign, prompting Puerto Rican artists, including global sensation Bad Bunny, to rally their support behind her.
Nevertheless, the rally served multiple purposes. For Trump, who has spent his life yearning for the approval of an elite Manhattan that often viewed him as a caricature, the adoration at Madison Square Garden was likely a deeply gratifying experience. “The king of New York is back to reclaim the city that he built,” proclaimed Donald Trump Jr. Beyond merely boosting Trump’s ego, the spectacle aimed to instill a sense of inevitability around a potential Republican resurgence. “The insanity has to stop, and the fact that we can pack Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City shows me that the spirit of the American people is alive and strong,” Trump Jr. asserted.
Throughout much of the event, there was a palpable sense among Trump’s supporters that they would staunchly oppose a Harris victory. This sentiment was explicitly voiced by Tucker Carlson during his frenzied and exuberant speech. His performance, while undeniably disingenuous, revealed a fundamental truth about the bond between Trump and his base. “He’s liberated us in the deepest and truest sense,” Carlson declared. “And the liberation he has brought to us is the liberation from the obligation to tell lies. Donald Trump has made it possible for the rest of us to tell the truth about the world around us.”