US Elections 2024: ‘Puerto Rico is beautiful’ – Democrats hit back against offensive MSG rallies

At a rally on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, New York, Comedian Tom Hinchcliffe’s disparaging comments about Puerto Rico led to resistance and mobilization efforts among Democratic leaders, especially in battleground states where Latino voters could play a decisive role.

Hinchcliffe for the former president Donald Trump participated in the event that called Puerto Rico “a floating island of trash,” a comment that was immediately condemned by Democratic leaders and Puerto Rican representatives.

Outrage on key battlefield Pennsylvania

The fallout from Hinchcliffe’s comments reached a fever pitch in Pennsylvania, where more than 472,000 Puerto Ricans live, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Democrats quickly denounced the comments, calling them a reflection of Trump’s campaign rhetoric and vowing to rally Latino voters in response.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, visibly angry, urged Puerto Rican voters to oppose what he described as an “offensive” campaign strategy. “There are hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans in the battleground states, and we need to send them a message: You need to vote,” Walz said.

Hinchcliffe responds, but the reaction grows

In a post on He also mocked the outrage and called Democrats humorless. However, his response only led to further condemnation.

The chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, representing California’s 44th congressional district, denounced his comments as promoting prejudice and “undermining the values ​​of unity and respect.” “The only trash I saw yesterday was on that racist rally stage at Madison Square Garden,” she noted.

National leaders condemn ‘vicious rhetoric’ at MSG meeting

Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries branded the rally at Madison Square Garden a “showcase of bigotry.” Jeffries condemned Trump and his allies for stoking hatred against multiple minority groups, describing it as “disqualifying” behavior for any candidate seeking public office. “These people are unfit to govern and should be banished forever to the dustbin of history in November,” he said.

Philadelphia Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, who represents a predominantly Puerto Rican district, said she was not surprised by the comments but deeply frustrated. “The Trump campaign’s attitude toward Puerto Ricans reflects the broader disregard for immigrant communities,” she stated. “Not long ago it was Venezuelans, it was Mexicans – it was immigrants in general.”

Echoes of the rhetoric of January 6

Representative of New York’s 14th Congressional District, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, compared the rhetoric at the rally to Trump‘Stop the Steal’ rallies ahead of the January 6 Capitol riot. “These are mini-John. Six rallies,” she told MSNBC. ‘They are preparing an electorate for rejection election results when they don’t go their way, and it’s critical that we connect the dots.” Ocasio-Cortez highlighted anti-Latino and anti-Semitic undertones at the event, arguing that the Trump campaign was using inflammatory language to sow division.

Anti-defamation league calls out anti-Semitic comments

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who was in Pittsburgh to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre, expressed concern about the anti-Semitic jokes in Hinchcliffe’s set. “It’s terrible to hear these insults, especially in the final days of a campaign,” he said. Emhoff added: “Nothing will stop me from living fearlessly as a Jew… Kamala and I will continue to speak out.”

Insulting Puerto Ricans: “Bad morals and bad politics”

The Democratic Party has used the controversy to galvanize Latino voters in key states like Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan. The representative of New York’s 15th Congressional District, who is of Puerto Rican descent, summarized the Democratic response, calling on the Trump The rhetoric of the campaign ‘bad morals and bad politics’. Addressing Puerto Ricans directly, he said, “Puerto Rico isn’t trash, it’s beautiful. The people, the island, the culture – everything about Puerto Rico is beautiful. And insulting the people of Puerto Rico as the Trump campaign has done is not just bad morals, it’s bad politics,” Torres said.

As Election Day approaches, Democratic leaders see this incident as an opportunity to strengthen their standing among Latino communities across the country, with Pennsylvania as a primary focus.