‘Shocking’: Local Puerto Rican Community Leader Reacts to ‘Joke’ About Trump Campaign Rally

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A new CBS News poll shows the two presidential candidates tied in battleground states, but a reported joke made by a comedian at a Trump rally over the weekend is causing backlash that, is expected to have a broad impact among Latino voters.

At former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in New York City at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, comedian and podcaster Tony Hinchliffe used racist language and slurs against Puerto Rico.

“I don’t know if you know this, but there is literally a floating island of trash in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico? – the speaker said Sunday evening at the rally.

Trump campaign officials have since said the remarks did not reflect the former president’s views, but the weight of the words has already permeated international headlines. Just hours after the comments, music superstars Bad Bunny and J-Lo took to their social media accounts to discuss the remarks with their tens of millions of followers.

Locally, Rochester has a strong Puerto Rican community. Mercedes Vasquez Simmons (D-22) is a Monroe County Assemblywoman and executive director of the Latino Youth and Development Center on North Clinton Avenue. As a Puerto Rican Latina herself, she tells News8 reporter Isabel Garcia the rhetoric has certainly sparked a lot of controversy. emotions ranging from anger to frustration and confusion.

“It was shocking to hear something so careless, even as a joke. This is not a joke; this is no joke to Puerto Ricans here in the U.S., and this is no joke to Puerto Ricans on the island who are completely dependent on our voice here in the U.S.,” Simmons says.

“Monroe County is home to the second largest Puerto Rican community outside of New York City, with approximately 60,000 Latinos, especially Puerto Ricans, eligible to vote. And that’s the key part,” she continues.

Although there have been attempts over the years to achieve Puerto Rico’s status as a U.S. territory, Puerto Ricans serve in the U.S. military, pay federal taxes, and contribute to America in several ways.

“When comments like this are made, Puerto Ricans have to wonder, does statehood make sense? Because if you take that position, then maybe it’s not in our best interest. I know there is currently an independence movement going on on the island, so there is a big conversation going on: Should the island of Puerto Rico become independent? And I think this conversation is likely to intensify as comments like this emerge. I understand the president didn’t make that comment or President Trump didn’t make that comment, but it was made at his rally,” Simmons says.

The Puerto Rico National Agenda is mobilizing efforts in communities like Rochester to let citizens know they have the right to vote in the presidential election.

“All elections are important, but the presidential election is incredibly important for Latinos, especially Puerto Ricans, because of our citizenship status. We automatically become American citizens – unfortunately.

Puerto Ricans on the island do not have the opportunity to vote for the president, although all finances depend on the president,” Simmons says.

In the early 1880s, Puerto Ricans, then under Spanish rule, began working for an independent government, achieving this goal in 1897, according to the Library of Congress. However, a year later, Spain ceded the island to the United States. States under the provisions of the 1898 Treaty of Paris, which ended the Spanish-American War.

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