Republican President Donald Trump conveyed his views to American voters at a major rally in New York City, but the event sparked backlash over derogatory jokes about the Latin American community.

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe joked on stage about Hispanics in the US who “love making babies” and demeaned the Caribbean US territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage”.

Hinchcliffe’s comments sparked backlash from Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, Democratic lawmakers and popular celebrities of Puerto Rican descent.

“Puerto Ricans deserve a president who sees (their) power and invests in it,” Harris said in a clip published alongside Hinchcliffe’s comments on social media.

Singer Ricky Martin, one of the island’s most successful artists, shared a video of Harris’ appeal to Puerto Rican voters, along with a clip of Hinchcliffe’s comments, in which he wrote in Spanish: “This is what they think of our thinking,” urging his 18 million followers to vote for Harris.

Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, who is very popular among younger Hispanics in the US, also showed support for the vice president by sharing one of her videos with his 45.6 million followers on Instagram.

But Hinchcliffe’s comments also drew criticism from Republican and Trump-affiliated politicians.

“Disgusted by @TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of trash’.” This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent more than 48,000 soldiers to Vietnam, with more than 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This courage deserves respect. Educate yourself!” Florida House Representative Maria Salazar wrote on X.

Trump campaign spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez attempted to distance the former president from the controversy, saying in a statement that “this joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

The response comes as Puerto Rican voters have emerged as a key voting bloc in swing states like Pennsylvania, home to 450,000 people. Both campaigns are looking to secure their votes as the margin of victory in the state remains slim in what is expected to be a close battle in a must-win state.

jcg/wd (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)