Newsweek, October 2024
Donald Trump could face the ire of Puerto Ricans in the swing state of Pennsylvania when the former president heads to the state for a Tuesday night rally. On Sunday, Tony Hinchcliffe, an insult comic, called Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage” during a set at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden that also included racist and offensive comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people.
The comment quickly brought a backlash, including condemnation from Trump’s Republican allies from states with large Puerto Rican populations. The chairman of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico has called on the GOP nominee to publicly apologize for the comment and has said he will withhold his support for Trump until then. Trump did not directly mention the backlash during events on Monday but reportedly denied any knowledge of Hinchcliffe during an appearance in New York on Tuesday.
