How a joke about Puerto Rico could hurt Donald Trump in Pennsylvania

A joke about Puerto Rico being a 'floating island of garbage' could have long last effects on Donald Trump's campaign in Pennsylvania of all places.

Puerto Ricans living on the island don't get to vote in the presidential election but those living in the mainland United States do get to cast their ballot – and many live in the battleground state that could decide the election.

About 580,000 Latinos in Pennsylvania can vote this cycle and most of them are Puerto Rican, according to UCLA's Latino Policy and Politics Institute. The state is home to the third-largest population of Puerto Ricans outside the island.

Joe Biden won Pennsylvania by 81,000 votes in the 2020 election. Trump won it by 44,000 votes in the 2016 contest. Both of those numbers are smaller than the Latino population of the state, showing how close the margin could be on November 5th.

The Trump campaign sought to distance itself from the comments comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made during Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Read More

BREAKING NEWS
Melania Trump stuns Madison Square Garden with her first rally appearance ever

'This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,' said Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the campaign.

Hinchcliffe is the host of 'Kill Tony' podcast and his comment about Puerto Rico - made amid a slew of racist and misogynistic remarks by other speakers - went viral.

'I don't know if you 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 said during Trump's ally in New York, which has the largest number of Puerto Ricans outside of the U.S. territory.

Republicans were quick to disavow the comment.

'This joke bombed for a reason. It's not funny and it's not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans!,' wrote Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida on X.

But Hinchcliffe argued he was just making a joke.

'I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone … watch the whole set. I'm a comedian Tim,' he wrote on X later on Sunday.

While Hinchcliffe was making his joke, Kamala Harris was announcing her economic plan for the island.

The Democratic presidential nominee was at Freddy and Tony's Restaurant on Sunday, a Puerto Rican mainstay in Philadelphia.

She was greeted with chants of 'Sí, se puede.'

Earlier in the day Harris released a video message announcing she would create a new Puerto Rico Opportunity Task Force if she wins the election.

Harris said the federal government would work with the private sector and island leaders to find ways to create more jobs there. She also pledged to rebuild the island's rickety power grid.

Her campaign was quick to capitalize on Hinchcliffe's remark.

'I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and competent leader,' Harris said in the video.

She was referring to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017 when then President Trump argued about the island's death toll and fought with locals about the federal response.

Hinchcliffe's remark also led to several prominent Puerto Ricans endorsing Harris and sharing her plan for the island.

Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny posted Harris' Puerto Rico pledge to his Instagram followers. Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin also shared Harris's video on their Instagram accounts.

The three artists alone have more than 314 million Instagram followers between them.

The Harris campaign had particularly sought Bad Bunny's endorsement, given his influence among Latinos and young people.

It was unclear if he would weigh in, given his long loyalty to the island he was born and the fact that people there cannot vote in the election.