Puerto Rico Is Not a Joke

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-31-2024

Excerpt

As we all have heard by now, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, at the Madison Square Garden Trump presidential rally, referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage.” Trump’s team has since claimed “the joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” This cowardly response should not end the firestorm. Trump’s team knew of the litany of racist rants throughout the rally, as they were vetted before the event. Two days later, Trump, instead of rejecting the xenophobic reference, incredulously and foolishly called the New York City rally a “lovefest.”

One would think the Trump is well aware of the political fallout of alienating a key voter demographic in swing states such as Pennsylvania (where the polls show a tied race), and perhaps even Florida. Could it be, however, that attacking Puerto Rico and its people doesn’t lead to negative consequences? Sadly, it is not the first time that the Trump MAGA universe sees Puerto Rico as a less-than-equal part of the United States. In 2017, after Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria, Trump withheld help from the island, alleging that it was logistically difficult to ship aid to Puerto Rico and that, anyway, most of it would end up in the hands of corrupt politicians.

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