Will this ‘joke’ cost him the US elections? After a comedian’s racist derailment during Donald Trump’s campaign finale, the Republicans’ campaign tried to limit the damage on Monday.
A spokeswoman said the “joke” about Puerto Rico did not reflect the candidate’s views. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris accused Trump of being fixated on “dividing our country.” Puerto Rico in the Caribbean is the largest foreign territory of the US.
At Trump’s rally Sunday night at Madison Square Garden in New York, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe said Puerto Rico was an “island of trash.” At the same time, he said of Latinos that they loved “making babies.” During the event for thousands of rabid Trump supporters, other speakers made racist comments about Latinos and African Americans.
Hinchcliffe was surprised by the heavy criticism of his statements: His critics apparently had no sense of humor, he wrote on the X platform. He loves Puerto Rico and is vacationing on the island.
Democratic candidate Harris said Monday that Trump had again shown at the New York rally that he was fixated on his grudges and on himself — and on dividing the US.
“And this is not something that is going to strengthen the American family, the American worker,” Harris said. The people of Puerto Rico “deserve a president who sees and promotes their strengths.”
Widespread criticism of Hinchcliffe and his ‘humor’
Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin shared Hinchcliffe’s comments and Harris’ response on the online service Instagram with his 18.6 million followers. “That’s how they think of us,” he wrote, and: “Vote for Kamala Harris.”
Puerto Rico residents are not allowed to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election, but there are about six million native Puerto Ricans in the U.S. who have the right to vote, according to the Pew Research Center.
Population group has an important voice
Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman noted that his state is home to nearly half a million people of Puerto Rican descent, three-quarters of whom have the right to vote. These people are important, he wrote on the online service
Pennsylvania in the northeastern US is one of the particularly hotly contested US states. Harris and Trump are neck and neck in the polls. It is the closest race for the White House in recent US history. Outgoing US President Joe Biden called the meeting in Madison Square Garden “embarrassing” and unworthy of a former president.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
