Could Puerto Rican vote hurt Trump in US election after racist jibe?
Al Jazeera
Remarks by a stand-up comedian at a Trump rally could swing the vote in battleground states like Pennsylvania.
Days before a knife-edge United States presidential vote, the race to the White House has been embroiled in a controversy over remarks at a Donald Trump campaign event in New York City that has sparked accusations of racism.
Stand-up comic Tony Hinchcliffe on Sunday provoked a hail of anger when he referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” in a warm-up set at Madison Square Garden for the Republican presidential candidate as he campaigns against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Hinchcliffe, 40, also quipped that Latinos “love making babies” before likening their presence to an “invasion of the country”.
Enraged voters, politicians and Latino celebrities denounced the Trump campaign for a rally that included racially charged, offensive remarks against Latino communities as well as Jews and Black people.
Residents of Puerto Rico, a US island territory in the Caribbean, cannot vote in the presidential election, but Puerto Ricans living in the 50 US states could shape the race in key battleground states.
