With nine days left until Election Day, Puerto Rico is in the spotlight on both sides. Vice President Harris announced plans to help the island, leading to an endorsement from Bad Bunny, while Puerto Rico was called a “floating island of trash” by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who spoke on the topic. Former President Donald Trump’s rally in New York City.
In an effort to appeal to Puerto Rican voters in the continental U.S., Harris posted a video on her social media platforms on Sunday announcing red tape to create jobs and ensure disaster recovery funds are used quickly and efficiently. Work with leaders across the island to eliminate red tape and ensure Puerto Ricans have access to reliable, affordable electricity.
Reggaeton musician and singer Bad Bunny Global superstar from Puerto Ricoshared a video of the vice president on his Instagram account with his 45 million followers, and later posted a clipped clip of Harris criticizing Trump for his response to Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island in 2017. Posted.
“We will never forget what Donald Trump did or failed to do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and capable leader,” Harris said in the video. “He abandoned the island and tried to block aid after a series of devastating hurricanes, but all he offered was paper towels and insults.”
In 2017, President Trump visited the island to assess the damage after Hurricane Maria hit the island as a major Category 4 storm. During his visit with survivors, the former president at one point threw paper towels into the crowd as he handed out supplies, amid widespread dissatisfaction with the federal government’s response to the hurricane, which left large parts of the island without power and food. This action was criticized as callous.
A source close to Bad Bunny confirmed to CBS News that the Instagram post was a show of support for the vice president and a departure from Bad Bunny’s long-standing tradition of not getting involved in national politics. It’s a coveted endorsement, and given Bad Bunny’s global popularity, it carries the weight that both political parties have long sought to increase their penetration of Latino voters.
Shortly before announcing his support for Bad Bunny, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe targeted Puerto Rico with a series of derogatory jokes during a speech. Trump rally at Madison Square Garden.
“I don’t know if you know this, but there are literally floating islands of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” Mr Hinchcliffe said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or his campaign,” Trump senior adviser Daniel Alvarez told CBS News, adding that the joke was not reviewed or pre-approved by the campaign.
Hinchcliffe’s comments, which included offensive jokes about blacks and Latinos, quickly faced backlash, and he defended Puerto Ricans and Latinos in the United States and supported Harris’ plans for the island. Celebrities also appeared to express this. Among those who took part in the review were Jennifer Lopez, Ariana DeBose, and Ricky Martin. “Puerto Rico, this is what they think of us. Vote for Kamala Harris,” Martin, who has more than 18 million followers, posted on Instagram.
Several Democratic and Republican politicians were among those who condemned Hinchcliffe’s assault on Puerto Ricans, a key voting group.
“There are hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans in swing states, and they need to vote,” Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, said in a livestream with Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. ” he said.
Ocasio-Cortez agreed with Walz and directed her comments toward Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state. “If you’re in Reading, if you’re in Philadelphia, look at that garbage,” Ocasio-Cortez said, referring to Hinchcliffe’s joke. “Trash is just people who actually think that way about other human beings.”
According to the UCLA Institute for Latino Policy and Politics, there are more than 579,000 eligible Latino voters in Pennsylvania, and about 50% of them are located in the “222 Corridor” (West of Philadelphia, including Reading, Allentown, and Bethlehem). I live in an area where a series of small cities spread out to the north.
Both campaigns have aggressively reached out to Puerto Rican voters in Pennsylvania. Mr. Trump and his agents made numerous stops at Corridor 222.
In 2016, Trump won the Keystone State by 44,000 votes, and in 2020, President Biden won by 81,000 votes, so the candidate will again win Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes by a narrow margin. is expected to be decided.
The comments at the rally are unlikely to help Mr. Trump’s efforts win support from the state’s Latino voters.
Harris visited a local Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia on Sunday to speak directly to Latino voters. “When I was in the Senate, I knew that Puerto Rico didn’t have a senator, so I always felt the need and obligation to do everything I could as a senator to make sure Puerto Rico’s needs were met.” said Harris.
Harris campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said in a statement Sunday: “As a reminder, Pennsylvania is home to more than 1 million Latinos, primarily Puerto Ricans, and today Vice President Harris campaigned in the heart of the Puerto Rican community in Philadelphia. We talked about her vision for the island, but also how to reduce costs and create opportunities in mainland communities.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump is scheduled to campaign in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a state where Latinos make up 54% of the population, the majority of whom are of Puerto Rican descent.
Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott, an ally of Mr. Trump, also condemned Mr. Hinchcliffe’s comments.
“There’s a reason this joke blew up. It’s not funny and it’s not true,” Scott said. “Puerto Ricans are great people and great Americans! I’ve been to the island many times. It’s a beautiful place. I encourage everyone to visit! I want to help Puerto Ricans in Florida and on the island. I will do whatever I can.”
Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar called the comment “racist.”
Jennifer González Colon, a Puerto Rican resident commissioner and Republican running for governor on the island, called the remarks “vile, inappropriate and disgusting.”
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