Madison Square Garden Owner Reacts to Trump Rally Hate Speech: ‘We Are Neutral in Political Matters’ and ‘Rent to Either Side’
There was no shortage of inflammatory commentary during Donald Trump’s rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday night — against Puerto Rican people, against Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and others.
Variety reached out to representatives of MSG and James L. Dolan, whose family owns the venue, for comment. An MSG rep responded with the following statement:
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“As a business we are neutral in political matters. We rent to either side. We don’t censor artists, performers or speakers.”
Reps noted that a fundraiser for then-Democratic candidate President Joe Biden back in March was held at Radio City Music Hall, which also is owned and operated by MSG, and raised $26 million for the campaign.
Former President Trump shouted out Dolan several times during his remarks on Sunday. “I want to thank Jim Dolan. He’s been incredible… The job they’ve done. Thank you… What a location…There’s no place like Madison Square Garden.” The two are longtime friends; Dolan held his wedding at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida.
Trump even extended sympathy toward embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has been slammed with multiple lawsuits alleging misconduct by his administration, resulting in most of his top staff stepping down. In words that echoed his comments about his own legal challenges, Trump claimed that Adams “has been treated pretty badly” for speaking out about the migrant crisis in the city — although the charges against him are related to corruption allegations unrelated to the migrant crisis.
“You know, when he said that this whole thing with the migrants coming into New York, this is just not sustainable. You know, we can’t do it. We’re trying to run a city, we got 100,000 migrants coming.” Trump said. “We can’t do it, we just can’t do it, it’s not feasible, it’s not good.”
“He said it very nicely,” Trump continued. “I said, ‘Well, he’s going to be indicted by these lunatics for saying that.’ A year later, he got indicted.”
However, the mayor did not return Trump’s sentiments, which Fox News described as “gracious.” Instead, he posted on X: “The hateful words that were used by some at today’s rally at Madison Square Garden were completely unacceptable. No matter who says it, hate is hate and there is no place for it in our city. As Americans, we always should stand up against racism, antisemitism, and misogyny.
“Yesterday, ahead of today’s rally, I talked about how we all need to turn down the temperature that fuels hate and violence,” he added. “I am once again renewing those calls.”
Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin were among the notable industry figures who boosted Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Sunday after a speaker at the rally called Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage.”
The starkly racist comment stirred outrage among prominent Puerto Ricans and many others in media and entertainment.
“There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” said Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian and podcaster who was one of many speakers before Trump took the stage at the famed concert arena on Sunday evening.
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