At approximately 1:00 pm EDT, the Kamala Harris campaign posted a video outlining the Vice President’s plan for Puerto Rico, should she be elected as the next President of the United States. X hours later, at a rally for Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump in Madison Square Garden in New York City, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe came on stage. He then delivered a racist joke that might end up altering the dynamics of a race considered generally to be tied.
“There’s a lot going on. 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.”
The October surprise is Puerto Rico. And the consequences could extend far beyond the presidential race, as Puerto Rico sees its own gubernatorial race, with a leading Trump-supporting candidate, tighten.
The reaction was swift across the political, artistic, and cultural spectrum. The Harris-Walz campaign immediately made clips of the joke to promote on social media, which stood in stark contrast to the plan the campaign had unveiled just hours earlier. It seemed to prompt endorsements from Puerto Ricans artists like Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Ricky Martin.
Even fellow Republicans like United States Senator for Florida Rick Scott, who called the joke “not funny” and “not true.” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) of New York, who was live on Twitch with Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz at the time of the joke, made rounds in cable news shows, making the case that the remarks were beyond just a joke, saying that “This is the Trump campaign. They invited this rhetoric on their stage for a reason. It was a chorus of speakers on that campaign for a reason. It was vetted. They knew exactly who was going to say what before they went on.”
This, after Hinchcliffe himself posted on X to defend himself, accusing Walz and Ocasio-Cortez of having no sense of humor, and taking the joke out of context.
In Puerto Rico, responses were unequivocally angry. Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi (D) lambasted the remarks as “garbage,” stating that they “highlight the prejudice and racism still alive in our Nation, and how important it is to elect leaders that reject and combat this bigotry.” Local representatives of the national parties also reacted, with local Republican Party Chairman Angel Cintron stating that “There is no room for absurd and racist remarks like this.” His Democratic Party counterpart, Luis Dávila Pernas, condemned the remarks, releasing a statement that read: “This appalling statement, permitted and condoned by Donald Trump’s campaign, transcends bad taste, it is an outright insult to the dignity of millions of Puerto Ricans who call the island home and the millions more who carry Puerto Rico in their hearts.”
While Trump campaign surrogates have tried to distance themselves from the joke, telling outlets that they were not aware of the joke beforehand, the damage has already been done. With tight races in both the presidential and Puerto Rico gubernatorial elections, the reaction to this joke could end up being a deciding factor.
The troubled history between Trump and Puerto Rico
Following Hurricane Maria in 2017, Puerto Rico experienced an unprecedented level of devastation, leading to widespread criticism of the federal government’s response. At the time, then-President Donald Trump faced backlash for what many saw as a slow, inadequate relief effort. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was slow to deliver aid, and the administration’s response was widely seen as insufficient, especially compared to relief efforts on the mainland after other hurricanes.
In October 2017, during a visit to the islands, Trump drew further criticism for tossing paper towels to a crowd at a disaster relief center, an act that was seen by many as dismissive of the residents’ suffering. Trump downplayed the hurricane’s impact, initially citing low death toll estimates, which were later updated by independent and Puerto Rican authorities to be over 3,000, marking one of the deadliest natural disasters in US history.
Additionally, funding became a contentious issue. Trump reportedly questioned the amount of federal aid sent to Puerto Rico, suggesting several times that the islands’ government was corrupt and incapable of effectively using federal funds. This sentiment influenced the administration’s hesitancy to approve disaster relief and recovery funds, leading to delayed infrastructure repairs and stalling of necessary economic support for the territory. By 2020, nearly three years post-Maria, many of these funds were still not fully disbursed. In fact, in January 2020, as Puerto Rico faced additional natural disasters in the form of earthquakes, the Trump administration again delayed the release of recovery funds over claims that the islands’ government was mismanaging funds.
Trump’s animus was such at one point that he wanted to trade Puerto Rico for Greenland.
These actions drew bipartisan criticism, with politicians on both sides calling the response neglectful and racially biased. Trump’s treatment of Puerto Rico has remained a political flashpoint, affecting Puerto Rican voters, especially those who have since relocated to the mainland.
This incident also comes on the heels of new reporting about racist remarks made by Trump himself about “slain Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillén in a discussion with staff members about the cost of her funeral.”
Could Puerto Ricans decide the presidential election?
Puerto Rican Population in the 50 States, 2018, Source: US Census Bureau
The timing of Hinchcliffe’s controversial joke has brought new attention to Puerto Rican voters in the final stretch before the election. With just over a week until Election Day, this incident has reignited discussions on Puerto Rico’s treatment, the US territories’ political representation, and the relationship between Puerto Ricans and the federal government. As US citizens, Puerto Ricans living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to vote for president. Given that there are more than 5 million Puerto Ricans living on the mainland, predominantly in swing states like Pennsylvania, where an estimated 472,213 Puerto Ricans live, the joke has the potential to shape voter sentiment at a critical moment.
Puerto Rican voters are one of the fastest-growing Hispanic demographics in key states, and Puerto Rican migration to the mainland—particularly after the devastation of Hurricane Maria—has continued to grow. These voters are largely concentrated in states like Florida, where they constitute a significant portion of the Hispanic electorate and are considered a critical demographic in swaying the state’s electoral votes. Many of these voters have a strong connection to the islands and are sensitive to rhetoric that diminishes its people or struggles. Hinchcliffe’s joke risks alienating these voters, pushing them to consider how each presidential candidate’s approach to Puerto Rico could influence the islands’ future and their own standing in the US.
Historically, Puerto Rican voters have tended to support Democratic candidates, though their voting patterns aren’t uniform. Donald Trump’s controversial handling of Puerto Rico, particularly in response to Hurricane Maria and subsequent federal funding delays, has already impacted his popularity among Puerto Ricans on the mainland. Conventional wisdom and the 2020 presidential election results state that more Puerto Ricans identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, viewing it as more supportive of Puerto Rican issues. Our own polling of residents of Puerto Rico does indeed show higher support for the Democratic Party. However, recent Republican outreach efforts have targeted Puerto Rican and other Hispanic voters in Florida, emphasizing conservative values on social issues and economic recovery. Even the Trump campaign itself has made overtures, touting endorsements by reggaeton artists. Those efforts, however, were also not without issue, as it seems Trump himself confused Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Nicky Jam, with presumably Trinidadian rapper and singer-songwriter Nicki Minaj, when he referred to Jam saying “Do you know Nicky? She’s hot!”
The outrage following Hinchcliffe’s comment underscores how political discourse involving Puerto Rico, whether in jest or in policy, has the potential to impact the diaspora’s voting choices. Both major parties have stepped up efforts to win over Puerto Rican voters by addressing concerns over economic opportunity, healthcare, and disaster recovery funding, reflecting the heightened political sensitivity surrounding Puerto Rico. While historically Puerto Rican turnout in national elections has been inconsistent, the response to the joke could prove a pivotal moment, prompting higher engagement from the diaspora.
In response to the joke, advocacy groups and influencers within Puerto Rican communities have been vocal on social media, urging mainland Puerto Ricans to turn out at the polls as a means of standing against derogatory or dismissive attitudes towards the island.
As Puerto Ricans consider the treatment of their homeland alongside campaign promises, they are weighing the potential for real change against a legacy of overlooked needs. With swing states hanging in the balance, even slight shifts in Puerto Rican voter sentiment could prove decisive. In a race this close, where candidates are vying for every available vote, Hinchcliffe’s remarks may serve as a last-minute rallying call that prompts higher turnout and more unified support for the candidate perceived as most aligned with Puerto Rico’s needs and values.
Puerto Rico’s own potential surprise
This October surprise could play an unexpected role in the Puerto Rican gubernatorial race. With only a narrow 2% gap between frontrunner Jenniffer González-Colón and her opponent Juan Dalmau (PIP) in the latest El Vocero poll, this comment has added to the broader conversation on how candidates view Puerto Rican identity, respect for the islands, and their political standing. González-Colón’s endorsement of former President Donald Trump might intensify the impact, as the joke recalls past instances of insensitive rhetoric toward the territory, including from Trump himself. While she distanced herself from the remarks, calling them “despicable, misguided, and revolting,” she appeared to also want to distance them from the Republican Party, saying that they “do not represent the values of the GOP.”
González-Colón has also emphasized her support for Trump’s policies, which could be divisive given Trump’s unpopularity with some Puerto Rican voters due to his controversial responses to Hurricane Maria and disaster funding. Her endorsement may alienate those who feel that Puerto Rican dignity and needs are overlooked, especially in light of Hinchcliffe’s comment. In contrast, Dalmau of the Puerto Rican Independence Party in alliance with the Citizen’s Victory Movement, has taken a more nationalist stance, aligning with progressive and anti-establishment voters who might view Hinchcliffe’s remark as emblematic of a broader disrespect for Puerto Rican issues by some mainland figures. Dalmau himself immediately pounced on the controversy, releasing a statement tying González-Colón to Trump and his treatment of Puerto Ricans.
“The problem is not the so-called comedian. The problem is Donald Trump. The same person who despises Puerto Ricans, who threw paper towels like basketballs at us in the worst moment of our history after Hurricane Maria and held back recovery funds.
He is the same one that Jenniffer González unconditionally supports, except now she might deny it for votes, like Ricardo Rosselló and the current PNP administration.”
-Juan Dalmau
This incident could galvanize voters who are sensitive to portrayals of Puerto Rico in the media, pushing undecided voters toward Dalmau, who has positioned himself as a defender of Puerto Rican self-respect and autonomy. The race’s narrow margin suggests that even minor shifts in voter sentiment could influence the outcome, making this issue a potentially pivotal factor in the final days before the election.
Data interest potential
The surge of interest in this controversy has ignited a wave of online discussions and media coverage, which could play a significant role in the upcoming election. With social media amplifying reactions and figures like Juan Dalmau and Jesús Manuel Ortíz leveraging the incident to critique Jenniffer González-Colón’s ties to Donald Trump, this controversy could impact voter sentiment in unexpected ways, in Puerto Rico and throughout the entire nation.
As Google Trends data reveals, the spike in searches related to both Puerto Rico and the comedian hints at growing public awareness and sensitivity around issues of respect, identity, and Puerto Rico’s political status. This heightened attention aligns with ongoing frustrations among Puerto Ricans about their treatment by the US government, especially in the wake of Trump’s controversial handling of disaster aid and González-Colón’s endorsement of him. Dalmau’s response frames the incident within a broader narrative about Puerto Rican dignity, tapping into sentiments that resonate deeply with voters who feel overlooked.
The significance of this issue may ultimately hinge on whether candidates can effectively connect it to their broader platforms. In Puerto Rico, for Dalmau, this means positioning himself as a defender of Puerto Rican identity against perceived mainland indifference, while González-Colón may need to address how her alignment with Trump might affect her support among voters sensitive to these issues. Nationally, the Harris-Walz campaign now has the opportunity to hammer home the point of Trump’s troubling and racist stances toward Puerto Rico. With polling showing a close race, the attention surrounding this incident has the potential to be a deciding factor in the election’s outcome, especially among undecided or swing voters. Now, a little over a week until the election, with polls showing close races nationally and locally, we’ll have to see if this October surprise about a joke of a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean” proves to be anything but, as we cover the results on November 5.
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