(The Hill) – Former President Trump on Tuesday described a Madison Square Garden rally that was marked by racist and sexist comments as a “love fest.”

“There was love in the room. The love in that room was breathtaking,” Trump said in remarks from his Mar-a-Lago estate.

“It was like a love fest. An absolute love fest,” he added, scoffing at critics who likened the rally to a 1939 Nazi event at the arena.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump wave at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump wave at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump did not address the backlash to comments made by other speakers at the New York City rally, including comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose joke comparing Puerto Rico to a “floating island of garbage” has caused a firestorm, including with some Latino voters.

“Unreal. You know what else Donald Trump calls a lovefest? January 6,” Harris campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa posted on X.

Trump drew thousands of supporters to Madison Square Garden for a rally on Sunday that was billed as a preview of his closing message for the campaign. But the event was largely overshadowed by the inflammatory rhetoric used by guest speakers. 

In addition to Hinchcliffe, Sid Rosenberg, a New York City radio host whose show Trump periodically calls in to, said the Democratic Party was a “bunch of degenerates.”

One speaker described Harris as “the devil” and “the antichrist,” and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson mocked Harris’s biracial heritage.