With the presidential elections just days away, former President Donald Trump has once again sparked an outrage. During his MAGA rally at New York's Madison Square Garden, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe sparked quite a row following his racist remarks towards Puerto Ricans.
Hinchcliffe's statement comes at a time when Trump is trying to gain Latino voters, especially in the swing states such as Pennsylvania.
"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," said Tony amid a sea of controversial remarks.
Within hours, the comedian was condemned for his remarks by Democrats, celebrities and Republicans alike, who also termed the "joke" as "offensive" and "derogatory"
Kamala Harris, Biden and Republicans Slam Racist Remarks
Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump's opponent for the presidential race condemned the remarks as "nonsense" adding that the statements from the MAGA rally show that Trump is "focused and actually fixated on his grievances, on himself and on dividing our country.”
Biden, who was spotted in line to cast his vote for Kamala Harris, also slammed the remarks as "simply embarrassing," adding that the comments are "beneath any president, but that’s what we’re getting used to. That’s why this election is so important.”
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also called out the remarks in a series of posts. Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz also criticised the remarks during a live stream with AOC.
"People in Puerto Rico are citizens. They pay tax and they serve in the military at almost a higher rate than anybody else,” said Walz.
Hinchcliffe's remarks has have also been slammed by Trump's party members.
Republican congresswoman Maria Elvira Sanchez, who represents part of Miami and added that the comedian's remarks "do not reflect GOP values".
"Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Educate yourself!" she added.
Republican senator Rick Scott from Florida also called out the comedian for his "sense of humour".
Trump's team is now scrambling to separate the comedian's statements from the former president's campaign. and stated that the joke was in "poor taste". Campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt further told Fox News that while the joke was bad, the incident is being "overblown".
Can Hinchcliffe's Remarks Fumble Trump's Chances In Swing States?
The Latino community across the United States were enraged following Hinchcliffe's comments. The timing of the racist and anti-Puerto Rican remarks comes at a time when both candidates - Trump and Harris - are trying to make their marks in the swing states and certain demographics, for instance, Latino voters.
However, now, the anti-Puerto Rican comments are not expected to end well for Trump. Pennsylvania and Florida have the highest number of Puerto Rican voters among the battleground states.
In the key swing state of Pennsylvania, the Puerto Rican population is the largest Hispanic group in the state.
Pennsylvania has the fourth-highest Puerto Rican population in the US, making up about eight percent of the state's population. As per the US Census Bureau, the number of eligible voters from the community has also doubled to 620,000 in 2023 - which translates to just over half a million votes which are up for grabs.
Meanwhile in Florida, 5.6 percent of that state’s total population identify as Puerto Rican-origin. Florida, which is a key Republican state, is not one of the swing states for the 2024 elections. However, following the statements at Trump's rally, majority of the backlash as also originated from Florida's Puerto Rican community.
This mishap has sprung Harris' team and the Democrats into action as they try to get more votes to secure the election of America's first female president.
When it comes to Pennsylvania, where 19 Electoral College votes are up for grabs, Trump and Harris are engaged in a tight race. As per FiveThirtyEight, Trump is holding a point-three lead over Harris.
With just eight days to go the US Elections, many analysts and experts have stated that this Puerto Rico, may just come to haunt the Republicans in Pennsylvania, where Democrats won by a narrow margin of 1.17 percent in the 2020 elections.
