Vance brushes off controversial Trump Madison Square Garden rally

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) brushed off the controversy following Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally during a campaign stop in Wisconsin on Monday, saying at one point “we have to stop getting so offended at every little thing.”

“I think that we as a country – and I think that includes the press, it includes the Kamala Harris campaign, and it certainly includes our campaign -- the way that we unite the country is to talk about the issues the American people care the most about,” Vance said in Wausau when asked by a reporter whether some of the controversial remarks made during Trump’s rally were the right tone for the campaign.

“And what we're doing over the next eight days is we're focused, laser-focused on how we're going to close the border, how we're going to make American lives more affordable again, how we're going to bring down the cost of housing.”

Vance said he had not heard the joke made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe – who referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage” – and said he wouldn’t comment on the specifics of it. Vance also spoke at the Madison Square Garden rally.

“I think that we have to stop getting so offended at every little thing in the United States of America. I'm just -- I'm so over it,” he said.

“Our country was built by frontiersmen who conquered the wilderness. We are not going to -- we're not going to restore the greatness of American civilization if we get offended at every little thing,” he added later. “Let's have a sense of humor, and let's have a little fun, and let's go win in eight days.”

Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally has generated controversy and criticism as it featured a number of guests, some of whom made racist remarks.

Hinchcliffe -- who also made a crude joke about Latinos, babies and immigration – received the brunt of the scrutiny, though several others made offensive remarks as well.

Hinchcliffe for his part defended his remarks, responding to criticism from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

“These people have no sense of humor,” he wrote on X. “Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon.”

But the Trump campaign has sought to distance itself from some of those remarks, arguing they’re not reflective of the campaign.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, said on “Fox & Friends” on Monday that “it was a comedian who made a joke in poor taste.”

“Obviously, that joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or our campaign, and I think it is sad that the media will pick up on one joke that was made by a comedian, rather than the truths that were shared by the phenomenal list of speakers that we had,” she said.