Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s degrading comments about Puerto Rico at a Trump rally have sparked outrage within Georgia’s Puerto Rican community, with local leaders warning it could cost Trump crucial votes in the state.
With 125,000 Puerto Ricans calling Georgia home, many of them are making it clear they won’t stand for disrespect directed at their heritage.
🇵🇷 Why It Matters: Puerto Ricans living in Georgia are U.S. citizens who can vote – and in a tight state like Georgia, every community matters. Hinchcliffe’s remarks could energize this community against Trump, creating a backlash the campaign can’t afford in a battleground state.
⚠️ What’s Happening: At a rally in New York’s Madison Square Garden, Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage,” leading to intense backlash in Puerto Rican communities nationwide, especially in Georgia.
• The Trump campaign is scrambling to distance itself from the comments, insisting they don’t reflect the views of President Donald Trump.
• Georgia’s Puerto Rican leaders spoke out at a news conference in Norcross, slamming Hinchcliffe’s remarks as disrespectful and racially charged. “Words matter, especially if somebody is going to be the leader of this nation,” Grace Williams said.
💬 Between the Lines: Georgia’s Puerto Rican and Latino communities have the power to sway this election. Their frustration with Trump’s association with this rhetoric is being channeled into grassroots efforts to turn out the vote against him.
📈 The Big Picture: Trump lost Georgia in the 2020 election by just over 12,000 votes, meaning Trump cannot afford to lose a voting bloc as large as Georgia’s Puerto Rican community. With Puerto Rican celebrities like Bad Bunny now openly endorsing Kamala Harris, Democrats are seizing the opportunity to court Puerto Rican voters. For a state on a razor’s edge, Georgia’s Puerto Rican community could be the deciding factor in the fight for the White House.
