Political leaders from both sides of the aisle and Puerto Rican celebrities criticized comments made at a prominent Donald Trump event in New York by a comedian who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”
In the presence of the Republican presidential candidate during a rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, comedian and podcast host Tony Hinchcliffe added that Latinos “love making babies” and “don’t take it out,” comments that played on the racist image that Latinos are concerned about motherhood and are averse to birth control.
“Right now there is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean,” Hinchcliffe said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, Democrats, several prominent Puerto Rican celebrities and some Republican congressmen denounced the comments, which were widely criticized as racist.
Trump’s own campaign said the comments “do not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” although the former president did not comment on Hinchcliffe’s performance.
Puerto Ricans are American citizens, although they do not have electoral representation in Congress and the island does not vote for the president. The island is an unincorporated territory of the United States.
Americans of Puerto Rican origin or descent are an important demographic group in some of the competitive states that will likely decide the winner of the November 5 elections, including Pennsylvania.
In general terms, both candidates fight tooth and nail for the Latino vote, which in recent years has leaned more toward Republicans, but remains Democratic.
Ed Rosa, a 60-year-old New York resident whose parents were born in Puerto Rico and who attended a Trump rally in May, said he planned to vote for the former president, but now he will not participate in the election after Hinchcliffe’s words. He also removed the Trump campaign signs that he had in the windows and yard of his north Bronx home.
“I didn’t find it funny,” he said. «I really think it was racist. And I was a strong Trump supporter until yesterday.
In a video posted to social media site
Actress and singer Jennifer Lopez, whose parents were born in Puerto Rico, shared Harris’ video on Instagram, as did Puerto Rican rapper, singer and producer Bad Bunny. It was his first apparent gesture of support for the Democrat.
Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor Ricky Martin shared a video of Hinchcliffe’s comments on Instagram, writing “this is what they think of us” in Spanish.
Hinchcliffe downplayed the offensive nature of his comments. “These people have no sense of humor,” he wrote on X in response to a video critical of Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Among the Trump allies who took offense at Hinchcliffe’s comments was Rick Scott, a Republican senator from Florida, a state with many Puerto Rican voters.
“It’s not funny and it’s not true,” he wrote on X on Sunday. «Puerto Ricans are incredible people and incredible Americans! I have been to the island many times. “It’s a beautiful place.”
Republican congressmen Anthony D’Esposito, María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Giménez were also quick to condemn the comments. D’Esposito, who is of partial Puerto Rican descent, represents a hypercompetitive Long Island district.
“I’m proud to be Puerto Rican,” D’Esposito wrote in X. “The only thing that was ‘trash’ was a bad comedy number.”
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