Kamala Harris has warned Donald Trump is “fixated” on division – amid growing unrest over a comedian’s racist jokes at a rally for the Republican presidential nominee.
Appearing at the Trump rally on Sunday, Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” and said “these Latinos, they love making babies”.
He made the remarks ahead of Mr Trump himself taking the stage at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
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Donald Trump points his finger at Melania Trump during one of her rare appearances by his side during this campaign.
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Donald Trump’s rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden
After they sparked significant criticism from Republican and Democratic politicians, officials from the Trump campaign have been scrambling to distance themselves from Hinchcliffe’s remarks.
Vice president Kamala Harris, speaking on Monday outside Air Force Two, said: “I think last night, Donald Trump’s event in Madison Square Garden really highlighted a point that I’ve been making throughout this campaign.
“He is focused and actually fixated on his grievances on himself and on dividing our country and it is not in any way something that will strengthen the American family, the American worker.
“It is nothing about what he is saying that is actually going to support the aspirations, the dreams and the ambitions of the American people.
“There’s a big difference between he and I. If he were elected on day one, he’s going to be sitting in the Oval Office working on his enemies list.”
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Puerto Rico is ‘floating island of garbage’
Maria Elvira Salazar, who represents parts of Miami for the Republicans and has participated in recent events for the Republican presidential candidate, wrote on X that she was “disgusted” by the comment.
“This rhetoric does not reflect GOP [Republican] values,” she said.
“Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Educate yourself!”
Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is of Puerto Rican descent and was born in New York, reacted to the comments during a live stream with Kamala Harris’s running mate Tim Walz.
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“When you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico ‘floating garbage’, know that that’s what they think about you,” she said.
“It’s what they think about anyone who makes less money than them.”
Hinchcliffe defended himself on X, accused Ms Ocasio-Cortez of having “no sense of humour” and said he loves holidaying in Puerto Rico.
Moments after Hinchcliffe made the comments, rapper Bad Bunny endorsed Ms Harris, sharing a video with the Democratic candidate saying “there’s so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico”.
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Luis Fonsi, a Puerto Rican artist who sings the hit Despacito, wrote on Instagram “going down this racist path ain’t it”.
Meanwhile, Ricky Martin, the Livin’ La Vida Loca singer who had previously endorsed Ms Harris, was also offended by the comment and said “that’s what they think of us”, on Instagram.
Danielle Alvarez, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, insisted the joke did “not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign”.
The row may boost the Harris campaign as it tries to bolster its support with Latino voters, among whom Mr Trump has been working to gain ground.
The Puerto Rican vote is sizeable in Pennsylvania, which is arguably the hardest-fought of the swing states in the 2024 election.
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Other speakers at the New York rally also made incendiary comments about Ms Harris, with just more than a week to go until the election.
Mr Trump’s childhood friend David Rem referred to Ms Harris as “the Antichrist” and “the devil”.
Businessman Grant Cardone told the crowd Ms Harris “and her pimp handlers will destroy our country”.
Among the rally’s other speakers were former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, Tesla and X owner Elon Musk, TV psychologist Dr Phil McGraw and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Mr Trump was introduced to the crowd by his wife, Melania, who was making a rare public appearance.
He was more than two hours late to the event.