'Vulgar': Pro-Israel columnist compares Trump’s 'open incitement of bigotry' to Hitler

31 October 2024

Much of the criticism of Donald Trump's Sunday, October 27 rally at New York City's Madison Square Garden has focused on comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's attack on Puerto Rico.

"I don't know if you guys know this," Hinchcliffe told the crowd, "but there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it's called Puerto Rico."

The outcry was swift, and some major Puerto Rican celebrities — including Ricky Martin, Jennifer López, Marc Anthony and reggaetón stars Bad Bunny and Don Omar — responded by endorsing Kamala Harris for president.

In an op-ed published on Halloween 2024, Jerusalem Post author Douglas Bloomfield — the former chief lobbyist for pro-Israel group AIPAC — argues that the rally in general was disturbing. Bloomfield describes it as "vulgar and threatening" as well as an "open incitement to bigotry."

"Donald Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday to present his vision for America in the closing days of his presidential campaign," Bloomfield notes. "It was reminiscent of another massive rally with a similar America First motto in the Garden in 1939. Both events were teeming with nativism, xenophobia, racism, and hate. Trump served up his familiar smorgasbord of lies, hate, grievances, and exaggerations, but it was overshadowed by a slew of opening acts, including ones that branded Vice President Kamala Harris the 'antichrist,' called her staff 'pimp handlers,' labeled her 'a Samoan-Malaysian low IQ,' called Puerto Rico a 'floating island of garbage,' plus slurs against Jews, Arabs, and Blacks."

In addition to Hinchcliffe, speakers at the October 27 really ranged from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) to X/Tesla CEO Elon Musk to attorney Alina Habba.

Trump ally Stephen Miller was featured as well, and he went full nativist by telling crowd, "America is for Americans and Americans only" — a statement that, according to Bloomfield, "sounded hauntingly like the 1939 rally's message 'to restore America to the true Americans.'"

"Xenophobia has been a longtime Trump tool for instilling fear and anger, and it now includes calls for mass roundups and deportation of undocumented immigrants," Bloomfield warns. "In Sunday's setting, it stirred memories of the pro-Nazi rally 85 years ago and the talk of removing undesirables from this good white, Christian nation. Trump has positioned himself as the defender of Christian nationalism and defender of 'the cross of Christ.'"

Bloomfield adds, "Undocumented immigrants are 'poisoning the blood of our country,' Trump has charged, echoing a favorite Hitler reference to the Jews and other non-Aryans. Hitler also called the Jews 'the enemy within,' another phrase Trump has appropriated."

Douglas Bloomfield's full op-ed for the Jerusalem Post is available at this link.

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