Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump headlined a rally at New York's Madison Square Garden on Sunday that began with a series of vulgar and racist remarks by allies of the former president.

Trump, a New York celebrity for decades, hoped to use the event at the iconic venue known for Knicks basketball games and Billy Joel concerts to deliver his closing argument against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, even though the state last backed a Republican presidential candidate in 1984.

Trump spoke repeatedly about his plans to halt illegal immigration and deport migrants he described as "vicious and bloodthirsty criminals" if he wins the Nov. 5 election.