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Latino groups on Sunday demanded an apology from former President Donald Trump ‘s campaign after one of the participants in the Republican candidate’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York said that Puerto Rico was “a floating island of garbage.”
The complaint specifically names presenter and comedian Tony Hinchcliffe , who was one of more than a dozen speakers who preceded the former president ‘s (2017-2021) speech in front of some 20,000 supporters in the iconic arena.
Speaking at the event, Hinchcliffe said: “There is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now, I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
The comedian also made fun of Latinos , warning that they “enjoy making babies.”
Roman Palomares, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), immediately denounced the comments and said in a statement that Donald Trump ‘s campaign should have immediately rejected and condemned the comedian’s words.
“As usual, (Donald Trump) has remained silent and, in the process, has insulted millions of proud Puerto Ricans living on the island and throughout the United States ,” the activist stressed.
He added that the Republican campaign’s tolerance of offensive humor, especially against Puerto Rico and its residents, “highlights a disturbing pattern of disregard for the island’s people and their challenges.”
Palomares criticized the campaign and said that the event is a preview of “what can be expected” if the former president returns to the White House.
LULAC demanded a formal apology from the Trump campaign and a retraction from the comedian.
Organizations such as Voto Latino , UnidosUS, Mi Familia Vota, America’s Voice and the Hispanic Federation also rejected the comedian’s comments.
Maria Teresa Kumar, president of Voto Latino, said in a statement that the comedian’s comments show that the Republican platform “is xenophobia and, specifically, hatred toward Latino families.”
‘They are not an isolated event’
Janet Murguia, president of UnidosUS Action Fund , warned that Trump’s remarks at the rally “are not an isolated incident” and that they correspond to the former president’s rhetoric for almost a decade.
The former Republican president has been criticized by Puerto Rican figures such as Marc Anthony, who in a recent advertisement said he has not forgotten what the Trump presidency was like and especially what he “did and said” about Puerto Rico after the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria on the island in 2017.
“He blocked billions in aid while thousands died. I remember when we needed clean water and electricity, Trump threw paper towels at them and called Puerto Rico ‘dirty and poor,'” Anthony said in the ad.
