PALM BEACH, Florida — During his comments on Tuesday, Donald Trump did not recognize any criticism regarding a comedian who made negative remarks about Puerto Rico at a recent rally in New York City.

“The affection in that venue was astonishing — and you could have filled it countless times with those who weren’t able to enter,” he stated about his rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Before the press conference, Trump told ABC News’ Rachel Scott that he was not acquainted with comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who described Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

“I don’t know him; someone placed him there. I have no idea who he is,” he said to ABC News.

His address on Tuesday, in front of a crowd of hundreds of supporters in South Florida, seemed primarily aimed at countering the campaign rally that Vice President Kamala Harris had planned for the same evening. The vice president is slated to present the final message of her campaign on the Ellipse just off the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Following Trump’s rally on Sunday—where Hinchcliffe and other speakers made racist and crude remarks—Puerto Ricans, along with both Democrats and Republicans, have condemned the speakers and supported the island. Trump has not openly denounced the remarks, while Puerto Ricans, including San Juan’s archbishop and the Republican chair of the island, have urged the former president to issue an apology.

Individuals of Puerto Rican heritage in Pennsylvania, a significant battleground state with over 450,000 residents, have voiced their disapproval of the comedian's remarks, and some intend to demonstrate at Trump's rally on Tuesday evening in Allentown, which boasts one of the state's largest Puerto Rican communities.

Trump referred to Harris' political campaign as a "campaign of hate" and remarked that President Joe Biden has been “out of it for a long time.” After delivering a speech lasting about an hour, he did not answer questions from the press and criticized several Democrats who equated his rally to Nazi Germany.

The speech delved into serious topics concerning illegal immigration and the economy, while a screen behind the former president displayed, “Trump will fix it.”

“This has been a long and challenging campaign,” he remarked toward the conclusion of his speech. “I have been in the running for 58 days and haven’t taken any breaks.”

His campaign has stated that the remarks regarding Puerto Rico did not reflect his beliefs, but Harris’ campaign capitalized on them in a new advertisement, and numerous Republicans expressed their disapproval of the insensitive comments. On Tuesday, Jen O’Malley Dillon, chair of Harris’ campaign, informed reporters on a call that they might attract “some new group of voters that are open to backing us” following the rally in New York City.

Nearly 1 million individuals of Puerto Rican heritage reside in critical swing states that will determine the outcome of the presidential election.

Trump announced a new campaign commitment at Mar-a-Lago, pledging that if he regains the presidency, his administration would confiscate the assets of criminal organizations and drug cartels, using the proceeds to establish a compensation fund for victims of crimes committed by migrants.