Can Puerto Rico vote in U.S. presidential elections? What to know amid backlash from Trump rally comment
CBSN
Washington — Voters in Puerto Rico who are angered by an offensive remark about the island at former President Donald Trump's campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday have little recourse because residents of the territory cannot vote in the presidential election.
But there are millions of Puerto Ricans living in one of the 50 states who are eligible to vote. According to the Pew Research Center, Puerto Ricans make up the second-largest Hispanic voting group, with nearly 6 million voters living in the mainland U.S. as of 2021. Pennsylvania in particular has a sizable Puerto Rican population whose votes could make a difference in the battleground state.
Days before Election Day, Trump's campaign is trying to distance itself from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe who made several racist and crude insults toward minorities at the rally, including calling Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage."
