His Racist NYC Rally Could Cost Trump This Tight Election
Pennsylvania is a swing state home to hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican voters
If Donald Trump loses the presidential election next week, he could well have no one to blame but himself.
And the racist, unhinged campaign rally he held Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York City could be the reason.
A parade of speakers during the event lasting more than five hours said all sorts of crude, false and racist things.
But comedian Tony Hinchliffe, who goes by the stage name Kill Tony, specifically attacked and disparaged Latino voters — and Puerto Rican voters, in particular.
Carried live on multiple cable networks and streaming platforms, Hinchliffe said, I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now.”
He paused and delivered his ugly and offensive punchline: “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
The Trump campaign later released a statement trying to disavow the racist remark, but the damage was done as Hinchliffe’s barb went viral.
Puerto Rican celebrities like Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin and more all went into overdrive on social media after the racist insult.
As a Puerto Rican, I'm tempted to call Tony Hinchcliffe racist garbage, but doing so would be an insult to garbage.
“When casting their ballots at the voting booth, Latinos should never forget the racism that Donald Trump seems all too willing to platform,” Rep Richie Torres (D-NY) posted.
But it was Democratic Sen John Fetterman who laid out the real blow Hinchliffe may have inflicted to the Trump campaign so close to the election in this race that has been razor-thin between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The winner will be whomever comes out ahead in a handful of swing states. And perhaps none is more important than Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania is home to almost half a million Puerto Ricans and nearly 3/4 are able to vote. They’re crucial to our commonwealth—not a punchline for a desperate joke. While Trump + his allies won’t stop degrading and belittling, know Kamala Harris is fighting for everyone,” the senator said on social media.
Trump may well fall short if Puerto Rican and other voters turn against him and he loses the Keystone State’s trove of 19 electoral votes on the climb to the magic number of 270.
Other Republicans also are worried too, clearly fretting that the flagrant hate on display at the Trump rally can hit down-ballot candidates, as well.
That includes Sen Rick Scott, of Florida, who is locked in a close race for reelection and rebuked Hinchliffe’s racist comment.
Florida has a huge number of Latino voters.
“This joke bombed for a reason. It's not funny and it's not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans! I’ve been to the island many times. It’s a beautiful place. Everyone should visit! I will always do whatever I can to help any Puerto Rican in Florida or on the island,” Scott posted.
Some still were not ready to let Scott off the hook.
“Unless you criticize Trump for sponsoring this & demand he apologize, you own this. Your candidate, your responsibility. You don't get off this easy,” posted Joyce Vance, a prominent legal analyst and a former US attorney during the Obama administration.
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