MAGA speakers unleash ugly rhetoric at Trump's MSG rally

Why it matters: Crude comments at Trump rallies aren't new. But many speakers at the rally unleashed rhetoric unprecedented in modern American history so close to an election.

• And while the spectacle thrilled his supporters who were there for about seven hours, Democrats believe the divisive rhetoric will alienate swing voters as the candidates make their closing arguments.

Zoom in: Businessman Grant Cardone told the crowd that Harris "and her pimp handlers will destroy our country."

• Trump's childhood friend David Rem called Harris "the anti-Christ"; former wrestler Hulk Hogan used a crude gesture while insinuating that Harris had slept her way to the top.
• Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe said: "I don't know if you know this but there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it's called Puerto Rico."
• Other speakers talked about "f**king illegals" and called Hillary Clinton a "sick son of a bitch."

Trump told the crowd that the U.S. "is now an occupied country," again described Democrats as the "enemy from within" and exaggerated claims about a "savage" Venezuelan gang in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colo.

The big picture: Several Democrats and even some Republicans told Axios they think the rally will wind up hurting Trump.

• They said Sunday's spectacle satisfied his wish to have a rally at the iconic New York arena.
• But they said it will remind voters — including those in swing states such as Pennsylvania, where 3.8% of the residents are of Puerto Rican descent — of the dark and race-baiting rhetoric that repelled them four years ago.
• That belief is premised on the assumption that the more voters hear Trump, the less they'll like him. That won't become clear until the election.

Trump's campaign argued that the ubiquitous media coverage of the New York event made it a strategic victory regardless of the headlines.

• Top Trump aide Jason Miller triumphantly posted a photo on X of 11 TV outlets carrying Trump's speech.
• Even some Democrats fear that Trump continuing to suck up the media oxygen is making it more difficult for Harris to introduce herself to voters who say they don't know enough about her.

• Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez tried to clean up after Hinchcliffe, saying his joke about Puerto Ricans "does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign."

Trump's team has been brimming with a confidence that some Republicans fear is hubris.

• On Sunday, the campaign announced that Trump would have a rally in New Mexico in the final week before the Nov. 5 election.
• A Republican hasn't won New Mexico in a presidential election since George W. Bush won the state in 2004.

Between the lines: During the rally, Harris was visiting a Puerto Rican restaurant in northern Philadelphia — providing a split screen to the scene at Trump's rally that was highlighted by Harris' campaign.

• While visiting Freddy & Tony's Restaurant, Harris pledged to help fix Puerto Rico's electrical grid and create a "Puerto Rican Opportunity Economy Task Force."

The bottom line: In the campaign's final week, Harris is betting that enough voters will be repulsed by Trump and his supporters' behavior to vote for her.

Go deeper: GOP lawmakers slam "classless" Trump rally Puerto Rico joke |

Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details and reporting throughout.