Trump's final campaign message is hindered by distractions and disconnection.

• In the final week of the race against Vice President Kamala Harris, Donald Trump made a series of unforced errors and distractions that threatened to overshadow his final message.
• In the final days of his campaign, Trump's policy proposals have been centered on universal tariffs, deep tax cuts, and sweeping immigrant deportation. However, it is his insults towards Puerto Rico and violent remarks about political opponents that have attracted the most attention.
• Democrats and the Harris campaign have fanned the backlash.

In the final week of his presidential campaign, former President Donald Trump's efforts to win over voters have been hindered by a series of controversial statements and unintentional mistakes, which have weakened his closing argument and exposed him to a barrage of Democratic attacks and legal challenges.

During the week, Trump's campaign ran thousands of ads highlighting his policy proposals, including universal tariffs, tax cuts, and immigrant deportations. However, it was the comedian's criticism of Puerto Rico, Trump's violent language towards a political opponent, and a comment about women that drew the most attention.

On Sunday, the Republican presidential nominee began his last week of campaigning with a high-profile rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Although the event was marketed as an economic address to New Yorkers, it was overshadowed by a series of offensive and sometimes racist comments made by some of the opening speakers.

Tony Hinchcliffe's opening set received the most criticism after he referred to Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean."

A wave of criticism was triggered among Puerto Rican celebrities, elected officials, and voters by Hinchcliffe's comments.

"According to Allentown, Pennsylvania Mayor Matt Tuerk, who spoke to NBC News on Tuesday, people are irritated because it's not hitting well. Some have even used the word 'enraged' to describe their feelings."

The offensive comments of Hinchcliffe have caused significant political damage in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state with 19 electoral votes, due to its large Puerto Rican population.

After the MSG rally, Trump campaign officials spent hours and days attempting to distance their candidate from the controversy and cleaning up.

Danielle Alvarez, senior advisor to the Trump campaign, stated last Sunday night that the joke does not represent the views of President Trump or the campaign.

Democrats and the Harris campaign seized on the controversy.

"At a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris' running mate, stated that the event at Madison Square Garden in New York City was another attempt to divide us. He added that the disrespect shown to Puerto Ricans was not only unnecessary but also deeply hurtful."

Trump's final message was overshadowed by his attacks on former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a key campaign surrogate for Harris.

"She's a radical war hawk. Let's put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her," Trump said Thursday at an Arizona event with conservative media personality Tucker Carlson. "Let's see how she feels about it. You know when the guns are trained on her face."

On Friday, the Arizona Attorney General launched an investigation into whether Trump's violent comments constituted a death threat and a violation of state law.

The Harris campaign has used Trump's remark to support its argument for the Democratic presidential candidate.

On MSNBC on Friday, Ian Sams, senior advisor to the Harris campaign, stated that Vice President Harris is discussing sending a prominent Republican to her Cabinet, while Donald Trump is discussing sending a Republican to the firing squad.

Trump's offhand comment about Cheney prompted him and his campaign to spend the remaining days of the presidential race managing damage control.

"Trump stated on "Fox & Friends" on Saturday that she was a "nutty war hawk." He added, "I said, 'Give her a gun and let her face the enemy.'""

Trump's rambling rhetorical style, which often diverts from his main policy message, has been labeled "the weave."

""During a Saturday rally in Virginia, he stated, 'Nobody else can weave like Trump,'" he said."

In the final weekend before the presidential election, Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson cautioned about a potential disconnect in the swing states.

Anderson stated on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that his message on air was, "If you want the economy to recover and prevent the world from burning, vote for me." He added, "That's a great message."

"Unfortunately, what he says on the stump is different from what he believes, and this disconnect could be a reason for his loss, she said."

On Wednesday, Trump stated at a rally in Wisconsin that he would safeguard American women regardless of their preferences. This remark provided the Harris campaign with another opportunity to assert that Trump and Republicans, in general, aim to enforce their views on women's lives, despite women's opposition.

The opposition of the Democratic party to abortion restrictions following the 2022 Dobbs decision is a key point in their support among women, as polls indicate.

On CNN Sunday, David Axelrod, a former Obama campaign strategist, stated that he was closely monitoring the race's progress and believed that Kamala Harris was performing well.

"She has been very disciplined, while Trump has not, which I believe is significant."