Republicans are expressing frustration about controversial remarks made at former President Trump\u2019s Madison Square Garden rally, worrying it could complicate the party\u2019s outreach to Hispanic, Latino and Black voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, one of the featured guests at Trump\u2019s New York City event, sparked a furor after referring to Puerto Rico as a \u201ca floating island of garbage,\u201d prompting some members of the GOP, like Rep. Anthony D\u2019Esposito (R-N.Y.), who is Puerto Rican, to come out against the remarks. And Tucker Carlson mocked Vice President Harris\u2019s racial identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The controversy comes as Republicans have looked to expand their reach with different voting cohorts, which could hold the keys to another Trump reelection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is just a big punch in the gut for Republicans who have sincerely and over a period of time been working to grow strong relationships and roots in Puerto Rican communities, particularly here in the state of Florida,\u201d said former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although recent polls show Harris holding the majority of support among Latino voters \u2014 with a 40-point favorability gap<\/u><\/a> among women \u2014 one-third of Latino voters remain undecided. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For that reason, Trump and his allies have been working hard to shore up support among Latino voters in the closing stretch of the election \u2014 though Hinchcliffe\u2019s comments could complicate those efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to his remark about Puerto Rico, the comedian also made a crude joke about Latinos in which he said \u201cthey love making babies too. Just know that. They do. They do. There\u2019s no pulling out. They don\u2019t do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hinchcliffe\u2019s remarks prompted several sitting GOP members of Congress to push back against the derogatory remarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m proud to be Puerto Rican. My mom was born and raised in Puerto Rico,\u201d D\u2019Esposito wrote on the social platform X<\/u><\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful island with a rich culture and an integral part of the USA. The only thing that\u2019s \u2018garbage\u2019 was a bad comedy set. Stay on message.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar\u2002<\/u><\/a>(R-Fla.), who was born in Cuba but raised in part in Puerto Rico, said on X<\/u><\/a> that she was \u201cdisgusted\u201d by Hinchcliffe\u2019s remarks. \u201cThis rhetoric does not reflect GOP values,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), whose successful 2018 election was won with the help of Puerto Rican voters, also said on X<\/u><\/a> that the joke \u201cbombed,\u201d calling it \u201cnot funny and not true.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Trump campaign, too, has distanced itself from the comedian\u2019s rhetoric. Karoline Leavitt,<\/u><\/a> a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said on \u201cFox & Friends\u201d on Monday<\/u><\/a> that \u201cit was a comedian who made a joke in poor taste.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cObviously, that joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or our campaign, and I think it is sad that the media will pick up on one joke that was made by a comedian, rather than the truths that were shared by the phenomenal list of speakers that we had,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hinchcliffe, for his part, defended his remarks, responding to criticism from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese people have no sense of humor,\u201d he wrote. \u201cWild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his \u2018busy schedule\u2019 to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone \u2026 watch the whole set. I\u2019m a comedian Tim \u2026 might be time to change your tampon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hinchcliffe wasn\u2019t the only one who made controversial remarks about different racial and ethic groups during the rally. Carlson referred to Vice President Harris\u2002<\/u><\/a>as a \u201cSamoan, Malaysian, low-IQ former California prosecutor\u201d despite the fact that Harris is neither Samoan nor Malaysian, but rather Black and Indian American.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump ally Rudy Giuliani used racist stereotypes about Palestinians in his address at the rally, claiming, \u201cThey may have good people. I\u2019m sorry, I don\u2019t take a risk with people that are taught to kill Americans at 2.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Democrats have used the speakers\u2019 comments to double down on their criticism of Trump. Talking to reporters on Monday, Harris criticized Trump\u2019s New York City rally<\/u><\/a>, calling it \u201cnonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDonald Trump spends full-time trying to have Americans point their finger at each other, fans the fuel of hate and division, and that\u2019s why people are exhausted with him. \u2026 People are literally ready to turn the page. They\u2019re tired of it,\u201d Harris said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The incendiary remarks came just more than a week out from the election, and polling across the battleground states suggests a nail-biter of a presidential race. Pennsylvania, New York and Florida are some of the states home to large Puerto Rican communities, and some Republicans say the comments at the rally could impact the GOP presidential campaign and competitive congressional bids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith over 456k Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania, one guy\u2019s abhorrent jokes are like a gift wrapped in ribbon for the Harris campaign,\u201d Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton wrote on X<\/u><\/a>. \u201cAt this stage, no campaign can afford negative press \u2014 not a single word, not a single action that could alienate or disillusion potential voters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Curbelo suggested that Hinchcliffe\u2019s remarks could sway Puerto Rican voters in Florida not as familiar with Scott to vote for downballot Democrats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat tends to happen is that there\u2019s a lot of times a sense of solidarity amongst Hispanic communities. We certainly see that here in South Florida, with Cuban Americans, Venezuelan Americans, Nicaraguan Americans,\u201d said Curbelo, who is Cuban. \u201cSo some, non-Puerto Rican Hispanics could also feel offended by this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other Republicans, meanwhile, are skeptical the rhetoric could negatively impact the party in November. Giancarlo Sopo, who led Hispanic media for Trump during his 2020 campaign, called Hinchcliffe\u2019s joke \u201cstupid\u201d in a text message to The Hill, while adding \u201cit\u2019s a mistake to assume it will offend all Hispanics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s certainly not going to matter to Mexican-Americans in the Southwest. And let\u2019s be real\u2014Hispanic culture isn\u2019t exactly politically correct. Was it in poor taste? Sure, but it\u2019s tame compared to what you hear around lonchera trucks and nail salons,\u201d Sopo wrote. \u201cAt the end of the day, you know what really offends Hispanics? The prices they\u2019re paying at the grocery store.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Seitchik, a Republican strategist and Trump campaign alum, dismissed worries that the comments could reflect on Trump. Voters, he said, are well aware of Trump\u2019s controversial rhetoric and those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n