RFK Jr defends Trump's MSG rally against Nazism claims, says 'nobody was laughing' at derogatory jokes

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden faced sharp backlash after speakers made inflammatory remarks, particularly by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe.

The controversial rally, even before the event, drew comparisons to a 1939 pro-Hitler rally hosted at the same iconic New York City venue by the American Nazi organization the Bund.

However, Robert F Kennedy Jr, who was present at the rally, defended the atmosphere, stating it was “the opposite of Nazism.”

Robert F Kennedy Jr rejects Donald Trump's MSG rally comparisons to 1939 Nazi rally

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe drew ire from both Democrats and Republicans after calling Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage” and making derogatory jokes about Black, Palestinian, and Jewish communities.

He also directed a vulgar joke at Latinos and referred to a watermelon in an exchange with a Black audience member.

RFK Jr, who spoke at the rally in support of Trump, later dismissed comparisons to the 1939 Bund rally, saying that from his perspective, such parallels were unfounded.

Referring to Hinchcliffe’s remarks, Kennedy said, “There was a joke made during the speech by one comedian. I was in the crowd at that time and they groaned," he said.

"Nobody was laughing. And there was so much joy in the room, and optimism, and patriotism, and idealism about our country. And it was the opposite of Nazism,” Kennedy added.

Robert F Kennedy Jr says he was unaware of remarks Tony Hinchcliffe's remarks

Despite the groans from some audience members, laughter could also be heard following some of Tony Hinchcliffe’s comments.

Many attendees expressed discomfort with the racially charged nature of the remarks.

Daily Beast cited Mother Jones, saying, "While Republicans disavowed the offensive jokes, Kennedy did not explicitly condemn them when contacted on Monday."

“I was unaware of Tony Hinchcliffe’s statement when I spoke or I would have addressed it,” Kennedy said. “I think it was unfortunate. And that’s all I’ve got to say,” he added.

The Trump campaign, through advisor Danielle Alvarez, condemned these remarks, telling Fox News, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

Doc Rivers calls Donald Trump’s MSG rally 'atrocious'

Donald Trump’s rally continued to attract criticism from public figures, including Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, who spoke out about it during a press event.

“I just think this election is really important. If you saw Madison Square Garden, I mean come on now,” he said.

“That was atrocious, what we saw. If you’re a Black man or a woman, or brown, Latino or Puerto Rican. They hit everybody. And it was awful,” Rivers concluded as Daily Mail reported.

The Atlantic recently reported from sources that, during his time in office, Trump allegedly spoke admiringly of Hitler, telling staff, “I need the kind of generals that Hitler had. People who were totally loyal to him, that follow orders.”