A range of hateful, racist remarks were spewed throughout former President Donald Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, but none has gotten more attention than comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's jab about Puerto Rico.
“There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” Hinchcliffe told the crowd.
Trump did not denounce Hinchliffe's comments at the rally. The campaign later sought to distance itself from the comedian's set even though a Bulwark report suggests it vetted his material.
The remarks spread rapidly online, sparking outrage. In Pennsylvania, anger rippled across the community of over 472,000 Puerto Ricans, giving Vice President Kamala Harris a new line of attack with a key constituency in the incredibly close race for the battleground state.
“It’s not the smartest thing to do, to insult people — a large group of voters here in a swing state — and then go to their home asking for votes,” a local Democratic party member, Norberto Dominguez told Politico, adding that “it’s spreading like wildfire through the community."
“This was just like a gift from the gods,” added Victor Martinez, who owns a Spanish-language radio station in Allentown. “If we weren’t engaged before, we’re all paying attention now."
In a rare defensive move, the Trump campaign has tried to distance itself from the Hinchcliffe’s remarks. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.
But the attempts have proven futile as the joke has reminded voters of Trump’s history of hostility towards Puerto Rico. When Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in 2017, the Trump administration was slow to respond and intentionally withheld aid from the island, which has been a U.S. territory since 1917. The former president repeatedly downplayed the death toll of Maria and infamously threw toilet paper into a crowd like he was shooting a free throw while visiting San Juan.
The Archbishop of San Juan called on Trump to personally apologize to all Puerto Ricans.
“Hinchcliffe's remarks do not promote a climate of equality, fraternity and good will among and for all women and men of every race, color and way of life which is the foundation of the American dream. These kinds of remarks should not be a part of the political discourse of a civilized society.” the Archbishop wrote in a letter posted to his Facebook page.
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“I call upon you, Mr. Trump, to disavow these comments as reflecting in any way your personal or political,” he wrote, adding that an apology from Trump’s campaign was not sufficient in excusing the remarks.
Moments after his home was referred to as an “island of garbage,” Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny signaled his support for Harris, sharing a video with his 46 million Instagram followers of her speaking at a rally targeting Latino voters in Pennsylvania on Sunday. At the same event, Harris unveiled a new economic proposal for the U.S. territory.
“I will never forget what Donald Trump did. He abandoned the island and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults,” she told voters.
With the candidates tied in the polls in Pennsylvania, Harris has seized the opportunity to win over Latino voters, a constituency she has underperformed with compared to the last three Democratic presidential candidates. According to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, just 56% of Hispanic voters support Harris, the lowest rate of support from a Democratic nominee since 2004. In the same poll, 37% of Hispanic voters supported Trump.
Shortly after the MSG rally, the Harris’ campaign released an ad telling Puerto Ricans that they “deserve better,” that will air in swing states across the country. North Carolina, Wisconsin and Michigan — all states where both candidates are neck and neck — are home to sizeable Puerto Rican populations.
Other prominent Democrats like Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., condemned the comments on social media, adding to the Democratic effort to clinch an unexpected but consequential opening just a week before one of the closest elections in American history.
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