“I don’t know if you guys know this, but there is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” these words from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a campaign rally for presidential candidate Donald Trump last weekend, are still sparking controversy among Puerto Ricans, with many of them saying they feel offended and humiliated. This situation has the Republicans on edge, as even though people on this island do not vote in US elections, their role could be decisive in the results.”
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"He can't be talking about Puerto Rico like that... He must be more garbage," said Milagros Serrano, 81, to The Associated Press (AP), who has a son residing in Pennsylvania.
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With her Spanish marked by a Puerto Rican accent, Ivonne Torres Miranda expressed to the BBC that "the campaign (of Donald Trump) hurt itself a lot. It seems crazy to me... Even if he (Hinchcliffe) was joking, you don't joke like that... We are Puerto Ricans. We have dignity and pride... You have to think before you speak."
José Acevedo, a 48-year-old healthcare worker from San Juan, Puerto Rico, told AP that the comedian's words were "A humiliation! A discrimination!". He mentioned that his relatives in New York, including a Republican uncle, are now hesitant to vote for Trump. "He told me he was going to analyze his decision... They couldn't believe it".
Upon hearing about Tony Hinchcliffe calling Puerto Rico a "garbage island," many thought it was a lie. These statements are so extremely humiliating that they didn't believe they had been said in a campaign event. However, it did happen. Think about it, if this is what they say about their land, what can we expect from them in the future.
Why is Puerto Rico so crucial in the United States elections?
As mentioned earlier, Puerto Rico does not vote in the United States elections. However, the island can make a big difference in the swing states to determine the results, but why?
The reason why Puerto Ricans are decisive in electoral results is because many of them reside in the United States with the right to vote. There are more Puerto Ricans on the mainland of this country than on the island itself. Those who do not live on the island have direct family members on the mainland of this nation, and these individuals may be affected by offenses against their nationality, or if not, they will surely be influenced by their loved ones on the island.
El Destape indicated that Puerto Ricans represent 15% of the American electorate and could be decisive in key areas such as Pennsylvania, which borders New York and Washington, where there are 600,000 eligible Latino voters, of which 470,000 are Puerto Ricans, and 90,000 are in Philadelphia. This figure is so important that in 2020, Democrats won by only 1.17% (82,000) of the votes.
The insult to Puerto Ricans can be generalized to Latinos, and of the 65 million Latinos living in the United States, almost 36 million are eligible to vote, says Rfi.
The vote of this sector can be so decisive that last Sunday, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris was at Freddy & Tony's, a Puerto Rican restaurant and community center in Fairhill. According to the BBC, the vice president promised more economic development and assistance in case of a disaster like Hurricane Maria in 2017, when, as they say, Trump abandoned Puerto Rico as president.
During the time of Hurricane Maria, Trump refused to report the number of fatalities. El Destape highlighted the words of singer Bad Bunny condemning the behavior of the Republican at that time. "I will never forget what Donald Trump did and did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and competent leader. He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after devastating consecutive hurricanes, and offered nothing but paper towels and insults," the singer stated.
“It was reported that even (Trump) went so far as to ask his advisors if they could sell or exchange the island for Iceland. One of the sadly famous acts of that moment was when Trump traveled to the capital, San Juan, and threw rolls of toilet paper at the people present,” the mentioned media outlet reported.
All these feelings are revived with the comments of the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. Donald Trump distanced himself from his words and stated that "I don't know him." His spokesperson Daniella Álvarez stated that "the joke does not reflect the opinions of President Trump or the campaign."
However, what has been said has been said, and Puerto Ricans are resentful. Will they seek revenge? The results of the November 5 elections will tell.