Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny and other Latino celebrities shared an appeal from Vice President Kamala Harris to their millions of followers on Sunday night as a guest at a Trump rally declared the territory an “island of garbage” in a racist comedy set.
“There is so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico,” Harris told voters in a video on Sunday night. “And this election is not just a choice between Donald Trump and me, it is a choice between very different visions for our nation.”
Bad Bunny, one of the most popular musicians in the world, shared the clip to his nearly 46 million followers, as did Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin.
“This is what they think of us,” Martin wrote in Spanish to his nearly 19 million followers, sharing a clip of the offensive joke.
The video came around the same time Trump held a massive campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, which featured a slate of speakers including the right-wing comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. During his set, Hinchcliffe veered into wildly racist tropes about Latinos and Jews, and referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.”
The remarks prompted swift criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) said she was “disgusted” by the remarks, adding they did not “reflect GOP values.”
“Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded,” she wrote on X. “This bravery deserves respect.”
Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) also took aim at the joke, saying it “bombed” and was “not funny and it’s not true.”
This joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans! I’ve been to the island many times. It’s a beautiful place. Everyone should visit! I will always do whatever I can to help any Puerto Rican in Florida or on… https://t.co/b00eYWkx85
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) October 27, 2024
The Trump campaign also disavowed the remark later Sunday, saying it did not reflect the views of the former president.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez urged Puerto Ricans to share the clip from Trump’s rally “in your family WhatsApps and group chats,” sharing a message with statistics showing the numbers of Puerto Rican voters in swing states.
Hinchcliffe defended his set amid the criticism, saying the Harris campaign had “no sense of humor,” while also attacking the vice president’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist,” Hinchcliffe wrote. “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon.”