Trump Campaign Responds to Backlash Over Puerto Rico MSG Joke

Improve the News Foundation -
0:00
/1861

Facts

  • After Sunday's Trump rally at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City, Archbishop Roberto O. Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan, Puerto Rico, urged former Pres. Donald Trump to personally apologize for the controversial remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe.[1]
  • Hinchcliffe described the US island territory as a 'floating island of garbage.' 'I enjoy a good joke...However, humor has its limits,' the Archbishop stated. 'It should not insult or denigrate the dignity and sacredness of people.'[2][3]
  • The Trump campaign issued a statement distancing itself from the comedian's comments. According to Danielle Alvarez, a senior Trump campaign adviser, 'This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.'[4][5]
  • In Racine, Wisconsin, vice presidential nominee JD Vance stated that he didn't believe a comedian telling a joke was newsworthy. Trump also stated that he does not know Hinchcliffe.[6][7]
  • Residents of the territory of Puerto Rico, despite being American citizens, don't have the right to vote for president. But 5.8M Puerto Ricans who reside in US states are voters. Almost 1M Puerto Ricans live in presidential swing states, and a majority tend to favor the Democratic Party.[8][9]

Sources: [1]Newsweek, [2]BBC News, [3]Archive, [4]WION, [5]Al Jazeera, [6]Axios, [7]Forbes, [8]New York Times and [9]Politico.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Time. This could be an 'October surprise' moment that could shift public sentiment in favor of Kamala Harris. Hinchcliffe's racist slurs have gone viral, potentially affecting many Puerto Ricans and other Latinos across the US, especially in battleground states, as they make their voting decisions. The Trump campaign has made fun of an already marginalized demographic, and, as shown by Trump's behavior during Hurricane Maria, it's evident that Puerto Rico is not a priority for the GOP nominee.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by Washington Post. Hinchcliffe's jokes at the Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday night were clearly in poor taste and fell flat. These jokes don't represent the views of President Trump or his campaign. Trump's supporters understand his vision that he aims to be president for all Americans. The polling in fact shows that Trump polls quite strongly among the Latino demographic due to his sound policies on the economy, immigration, and combating failing woke policies.

Predictions