Charlotte Phillipp
Sun, October 27, 2024
'Kill Tony' host Tony Hinchcliffe also joked that Latinos "love making babies" during the rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Oct. 27
Getty(2)Tony Hinchcliffe and Donald Trump
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe is facing criticism after making a series of racially charged jokes at a rally in support of Donald Trump in New York City.
On Sunday, Oct. 27, Hinchcliffe, 40, appeared at Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden — where he was the first speaker of nearly 30 openers ahead of the former president's remarks — and spoke crudely about Latinos, Black people and others.
“I welcome migrants to the United States of America with open arms. And by open arms I mean like this,” Hinchcliffe said at the event, per Rolling Stone, before waving his hands as if to say "go away."
"These Latinos, they love making babies, too. Just know that they do," Hinchcliffe continued, per NBC News. "There's no pulling out. They don’t do that. They c-- inside, just like they did to our country."
Related: Beyoncé Hypes Kamala Harris at Long-Awaited Campaign Appearance 11 Days Before Election: ‘I’m Here as a Mother’
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via GettyTony Hinchcliffe speaks during Donald Trump's campaign rally in New York City on Oct. 27, 2024
Hinchcliffe, who is known for writing for several of Comedy Central's celebrity roasts, also made jokes about Puerto Rico.
"I don’t know if you guys know this, but there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it's called Puerto Rico," he said.
The Kill Tony podcast host also joked that he "carved watermelons" with a Black "buddy," while pointing to a Black audience member.
The comedian, who has opened for stars such as Joe Rogan and has a special on Netflix, immediately drew criticism over the jokes. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz watched a clip of the stand-up routine while livestreaming on Twitch on Sunday.
"Who is this jackwad?" Walz said of Hinchcliffe, before criticizing Trump's response to Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico in 2017. "People in Puerto Rico are citizens. They pay taxes and serve in the military, almost at a higher rate than anybody else."
Donald Trump speaks at his rally in New York City on Oct. 27, 2024
"It's super upsetting to me," Ocasio-Cortez said in part. "My family is from Puerto Rico, I'm Puerto Rican. The thing that is so messed up that I wish more people understood is that the things that they do in Puerto Rico are a testing ground for the policies and the horrors that they unveil in working class communities across the United States."
"When you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico 'floating garbage,' know that that's what they think about you," she added.
Soon after Hinchcliffe’s comments began to make the rounds online, Puerto Rican musician Bad Bunny endorsed Kamala Harris by posting a video of her plan for Puerto Rico on his Instagram Stories, and then editing the video to cut to Harris saying: "I will never forget what Donald Trump did."
Singer Ricky Martin, who is also Puerto Rican, shared a clip of Hinchcliffe's jokes on his Instagram Stories and wrote in Spanish: "This is what they think of us."
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In 2021, Hinchcliffe drew further controversy and was dropped by his talent agency after he called Asian American comedian Peng Dang a racial slur, according to Rolling Stone.
Later on Sunday, Hinchcliffe wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he loves Puerto Rico and has vacationed there.
"Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his 'busy schedule' to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist," Hinchcliffe wrote. "I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon."
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Tim Walz’s Unfiltered Response To Trump Rally Comedian's Puerto Rico ‘Joke’ Says It All
Lee Moran
Mon 28 October 2024
Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz on Sunday gave a candidly blistering response after being played podcaster and comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s purported joke about Puerto Rico during Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Hinchcliffe said: “There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. Yeah. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
The clip was aired to Walz during a Twitch stream with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
Afterward, the Minnesota Gov. just asked: “Who is that jackwad?”
Ocasio-Cortez identified the comedian and said it was “super-disappointing.”
Walz then turned to attacking Republican presidential nominee Trump for his handling of Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico and caused mass devastation during his presidency in 2017.
“Does anybody remember how he responded to Maria in Puerto Rico? It was absolutely horrific, down there insulting people,” Walz recalled.
Watch the clip here:
Lee Moran
Mon 28 October 2024
Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz on Sunday gave a candidly blistering response after being played podcaster and comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s purported joke about Puerto Rico during Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Hinchcliffe said: “There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. Yeah. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
The clip was aired to Walz during a Twitch stream with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
Afterward, the Minnesota Gov. just asked: “Who is that jackwad?”
Ocasio-Cortez identified the comedian and said it was “super-disappointing.”
Walz then turned to attacking Republican presidential nominee Trump for his handling of Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico and caused mass devastation during his presidency in 2017.
“Does anybody remember how he responded to Maria in Puerto Rico? It was absolutely horrific, down there insulting people,” Walz recalled.
Watch the clip here:
AOC and Tim Walz Slam Trump Rally Speaker’s Racist Puerto Rico Jokes: ‘I Want Everyone in Philadelphia to See That Clip’ | Video
Stephanie Kaloi
Sun, October 27, 2024
As clips of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe making racist jokes at Donald Trump’s rally in Madison Square Garden made the rounds on Sunday, Tim Walz and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described the speech as “terrifying, absolutely wild times.” The vice presidential candidate and congresswoman commented on the speech in real-time, with AOC insisting she wants “everyone in Philadelphia to see that clip.”
Part of Hinchcliffe’s speech included a racist jab at Puerto Rico. “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now? Yeah, I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” he said.
Walz and Ocasio-Cortez, whose family is Puerto Rican, were appalled. “The thing that is so messed up — that I wish more people understood — is that the things that they do in Puerto Rico are a testing ground for the policies and the horrors that they wish to and that they do unveil in working-class communities across the United States,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“And I need people to understand that when they when you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico floating garbage, know that that’s what they think about you,” she added. “That is, like, that’s just what they think about you. It’s what they think about anyone who makes less money than them.”
The pair also directly spoke to voters living in Philadelphia — which has the second-largest population of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. outside of New York — and Reading, Pennsylvania. “I want everyone in Philadelphia to see that clip,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“Like, what is trash is people actually just thinking of other human beings that way, are you actually for real?” she continued. “And the thing that gets me is that these people rely their entire lives, rely on working class people.”
Elsewhere in his speech, Hinchcliffe said, “And these Latinos, they love making babies too. Just know that. They do. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country.”
Others also slammed Hinchcliffe’s comments. Rep. Ritchie Torres wrote on X, “As a Puerto Rican, I am tempted to call Hinchcliffe racist garbage but doing so would be an insult to garbage. When casting their ballots at the voting booth, Latinos should never forget the racism that Donald Trump seems all too willing to platform.”
Hincliffe hit back on social media, where he wrote, “These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon.”
Elsewhere at Trump’s rally, David Rem called Kamala Harris the “antichrist” and Sid Rosenberg ranted about “f–king illegals” getting “whatever they want.”
After the rally, the Trump campaign distanced itself from Hinchcliffe’s speech by saying the joke about Puerto Rico “does not reflect the views of President Trump and the campaign.”
TheWrap.
Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin Boost Kamala Harris After Trump Rally Speaker Bashes Puerto Rico as a ‘Floating Island of Garbage’
Cynthia Littleton
Sun, October 27, 2024
Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin were among the notable industry figures who boosted Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Sunday after a speaker at Donald Trump’s political rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden called Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage.”
The starkly racist comment stirred outrage among prominent Puerto Ricans and many others in media and entertainment.
erally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” said Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian and podcaster who was one of many speakers before Trump took the stage at the famed concert arena on Sunday evening.
Hinchcliffe’s comments were a offensive low even for a Trump rally, as evidenced by the muted response from the crowd. Hinchcliffe immediately and defensively responded “OK, OK” as he heard scattered boos and little applause. Hinchcliffe made other grossly offensive statements about Latinos earlier his remarks.
In response, Bad Bunny, one of the world’s biggest music superstar with more than 45 million Instagram followers, boosted Harris’ campaign video targeting voters in Puerto Rico and noting what a contentious relationship that Trump had with the island during his tenure in the White House. Lopez posted Harris campaign material targeted at Puerto Rico as well as the same video pitch that Bad Bunny boosted.
Singer-actor Ricky Martin, with 18.6 million Instagram followers, did the same thing on his Instagram Stories feed, adding the comment “I remember” on the Harris video. He also included a clip of Hinchcliffe’s “garbage” comment. What’s more, Martin asserted that his X posts with the same content were being suppressed on the platform formerly known as Twitter and now owned by avid Trump supporter Elon Musk.
Trump’s event drew wide live coverage across Fox News and other news networks, social media platforms and digital platforms. It was notable for the appearance of former first lady Melania Trump, who introduced Trump before he took the stage. Melania Trump has kept a low profile on the campaign trail during her husband’s third run for the nation’s highest office.
The event ended with Trump and Melania Trump on stage as a crooner delivered an over the top version of the pop standard “New York, New York.”
Hinchcliffe’s comments were a offensive low even for a Trump rally, as evidenced by the muted response from the crowd. Hinchcliffe immediately and defensively responded “OK, OK” as he heard scattered boos and little applause. Hinchcliffe made other grossly offensive statements about Latinos earlier his remarks.
In response, Bad Bunny, one of the world’s biggest music superstar with more than 45 million Instagram followers, boosted Harris’ campaign video targeting voters in Puerto Rico and noting what a contentious relationship that Trump had with the island during his tenure in the White House. Lopez posted Harris campaign material targeted at Puerto Rico as well as the same video pitch that Bad Bunny boosted.
Singer-actor Ricky Martin, with 18.6 million Instagram followers, did the same thing on his Instagram Stories feed, adding the comment “I remember” on the Harris video. He also included a clip of Hinchcliffe’s “garbage” comment. What’s more, Martin asserted that his X posts with the same content were being suppressed on the platform formerly known as Twitter and now owned by avid Trump supporter Elon Musk.
Trump’s event drew wide live coverage across Fox News and other news networks, social media platforms and digital platforms. It was notable for the appearance of former first lady Melania Trump, who introduced Trump before he took the stage. Melania Trump has kept a low profile on the campaign trail during her husband’s third run for the nation’s highest office.
The event ended with Trump and Melania Trump on stage as a crooner delivered an over the top version of the pop standard “New York, New York.”
Variety
Bad Bunny Supports Kamala Harris, Shares Her ‘I Will Never Forget What Donald Trump Did’ Message to Puerto Rican Voters
Ashley Iasimone
Sun, October 27, 2024
Bad Bunny, who supports Kamala Harris, a source close to the artist tells Billboard, is getting the Democratic presidential candidate’s latest message for Puerto Rican voters out to his 45 million followers on Instagram.
“There’s so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico,” Harris says in a campaign video posted on Sunday (Oct. 27), which Benito shared clips of on Instagram Stories not just once, but four times. “And this election is not just a choice between Donald Trump and me. It is a choice between two very different visions for our nation. One, his, focused on the past and on himself, and the other ours, that is focused on the future and on you. Puerto Rico is home to some of the most talented, innovative and ambitious people in our nation, and Puerto Ricans deserve a president who sees and invests in that strength.”
In the video, Harris tells voters: “As president, I will bring down the cost of housing, invest in small businesses and entrepreneurs and fight to finally secure equal access to programs that strengthen the healthcare system and support children, seniors and working people. I will create a new Puerto Rico economy task force where the federal government will work with the private sector, with non-profits and community leaders to foster economic growth and create thousands of new, good-paying jobs in Puerto Rico, including for our young people.”
“I know that Puerto Rico’s economic future depends on urgently rebuilding and modernizing the island’s energy grid. That’s why I will cut red tape, ensure disaster recovery funds are used quickly and effectively, and work with leaders across the island to ensure all Puerto Ricans have access to reliable, affordable electricity. I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader. He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back, devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults. Puerto Ricans deserve better,” Harris says.
Bad Bunny emphasized Harris’ “I will never forget what Donald Trump did” line in his reposts of the speech.
Harris’ message to Puerto Rican voters on Sunday arrived the same day Trump was set to appear at a rally at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, where Tony Hinchcliffe, a podcast host/roast comedian, spewed racist jokes in an opening slot. He referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.” Later, he made a remark that Latinos “love making babies” in a lead up to a crude joke, which Vice President Harris’ campaign headquarters called a “vile racist tirade against Latinos” on X (formerly Twitter).
“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” Trump campaign senior advisor Danielle Alvarez said in a statement sent to Billboard Sunday night.
Benito, who was born and raised in Vega Baja, has a history of being vocal about social-political issues affecting the Puerto Rican community.
In September he placed billboards across San Juan in protest of the Partido Nuevo Progresista (New Progressive Party), a major political party that holds the seat of governor and resident commissioner in Puerto Rico, soon after releasing the song “Una Velita.” The billboards displayed messages including “To vote for PNP is to vote for corruption,” “Who votes for PNP doesn’t love Puerto Rico” and “Voting for PNP is voting for LUMA” (the private energy company responsible for power distribution and transmission on the island). In an Instagram post showing the billboards, the star said, “Announcements paid by Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. A Puerto Rican who does love Puerto Rico.”
“Una Velita,” released on Sept. 19, has Bad Bunny reflecting on Puerto Rico’s response to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017. “There were five thousand that they let die, and we will never forget that,” he chants on the track that addresses what happened in the wake of the Category 5 hurricane that devastated the island.
In 2022, he released a documentary-style video for Un Verano Sin Ti‘s “El Apagón.” With a runtime of almost 23 minutes, the short film takes aim at local government for its inaction in addressing blackouts, gentrification and other issues affecting Puerto Ricans.
Bad Bunny Endorses Kamala Harris Shortly After Tony Hinchcliffe’s Racist Joke About Puerto Rico
Scoop Harrison
Sun, October 27
Bad Bunny / Tony Hinchcliffe
Donald Trump’s hope to court Puerto Ricans in the 2024 presidential election may have backfired thanks to a crass joke made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe during a rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Not long after, Bad Bunny, perhaps the most popular musician to ever hail from Puerto Rico, endorsed Trump’s rival, Kamala Harris.
During a set prior to Trump’s own remarks, Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.” He also said Latinos “love making babies,” adding, “They do. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country.”
Not long after Hinchcliffe’s comments began to go viral, Bad Bunny endorsed Harris by posting a video of her plan for Puerto Rico to his 45.6 million followers on Instagram. He also repeatedly shared a clip of Harris discussing Trump’s mishandling of relief efforts following Hurricanes Maria and Irma, which struck Puerto Rico in 2018 and left nearly 3,000 Americans dead on the island.
As detailed in an article in the Washington Post last month, the Harris campaign had been hoping for an endorsement from Bad Bunny, but it was never a guarantee. Though the musician had taken swipes at Trump in the past, he has largely taken an apolitical stance on issues not directly impacting Puerto Rico. A Democratic consultant told the Washington Post that given his popularity with Latin youth and massive social media footprint, his endorsement would be “even more important” than Taylor Swift’s.
Although Puerto Rico itself does not have electoral college votes in presidential elections, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican natives reside in key swing states, including Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Other Latin stars also responded to Hinchcliffe’s comments, including Ricky Martin ad Jennifer Lopez. Martin shared video of Hinchcliffe’s joke to his Instagram with the caption, “This is what they think of us.”
During a set prior to Trump’s own remarks, Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.” He also said Latinos “love making babies,” adding, “They do. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country.”
Not long after Hinchcliffe’s comments began to go viral, Bad Bunny endorsed Harris by posting a video of her plan for Puerto Rico to his 45.6 million followers on Instagram. He also repeatedly shared a clip of Harris discussing Trump’s mishandling of relief efforts following Hurricanes Maria and Irma, which struck Puerto Rico in 2018 and left nearly 3,000 Americans dead on the island.
As detailed in an article in the Washington Post last month, the Harris campaign had been hoping for an endorsement from Bad Bunny, but it was never a guarantee. Though the musician had taken swipes at Trump in the past, he has largely taken an apolitical stance on issues not directly impacting Puerto Rico. A Democratic consultant told the Washington Post that given his popularity with Latin youth and massive social media footprint, his endorsement would be “even more important” than Taylor Swift’s.
Although Puerto Rico itself does not have electoral college votes in presidential elections, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican natives reside in key swing states, including Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Other Latin stars also responded to Hinchcliffe’s comments, including Ricky Martin ad Jennifer Lopez. Martin shared video of Hinchcliffe’s joke to his Instagram with the caption, “This is what they think of us.”
Harris vows to launch Puerto Rico task force
Tara Suter
THE HILL
Sun, October 27, 2024
Vice President Harris vowed to launch “a new Puerto Rico Opportunity Economy Task Force” in the case she wins the presidency in a video posted Sunday to Instagram.
“As president, I will bring down the cost of housing, invest in small businesses and entrepreneurs and fight to finally secure equal access to programs that strengthen the health care system and support children, seniors and working people,” Harris said in the video.
“I will create a new Puerto Rico Opportunity Economy Task Force, where the federal government will work with the private sector, with nonprofits and community leaders, to foster economic growth and create thousands of new, good paying jobs in Puerto Rico, including for our young people,” the vice president added.
Puerto Rico has faced hardships including a debt crisis, devastation from Hurricane Maria and problems with its electric grid all within the last decade. The island also lacks voting power in Congress, as well as having no say when it comes to who wins the White House every four years (though Puerto Rico does participate in presidential primaries).
Harris’s video came on the same day as a speaker at a Trump rally went after the Caribbean island and U.S. territory, drawing backlash from her campaign and other Democrats. In his comments at the rally, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe said “I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” adding that he believes “it’s called Puerto Rico.”
In response to a clip from a Twitch stream featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), criticizing the comments, Hinchcliffe said in a post on the social platform X Sunday that it is “[w]ild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist.”
“I love Puerto Rico and vacation there,” Hinchcliffe added in his post. “I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon.”
Puerto Rican rapper and superstar Bad Bunny also shared Harris’s Instagram video featuring the comments about the task force on his Instagram story Sunday.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Sun, October 27, 2024
Vice President Harris vowed to launch “a new Puerto Rico Opportunity Economy Task Force” in the case she wins the presidency in a video posted Sunday to Instagram.
“As president, I will bring down the cost of housing, invest in small businesses and entrepreneurs and fight to finally secure equal access to programs that strengthen the health care system and support children, seniors and working people,” Harris said in the video.
“I will create a new Puerto Rico Opportunity Economy Task Force, where the federal government will work with the private sector, with nonprofits and community leaders, to foster economic growth and create thousands of new, good paying jobs in Puerto Rico, including for our young people,” the vice president added.
Puerto Rico has faced hardships including a debt crisis, devastation from Hurricane Maria and problems with its electric grid all within the last decade. The island also lacks voting power in Congress, as well as having no say when it comes to who wins the White House every four years (though Puerto Rico does participate in presidential primaries).
Harris’s video came on the same day as a speaker at a Trump rally went after the Caribbean island and U.S. territory, drawing backlash from her campaign and other Democrats. In his comments at the rally, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe said “I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” adding that he believes “it’s called Puerto Rico.”
In response to a clip from a Twitch stream featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), criticizing the comments, Hinchcliffe said in a post on the social platform X Sunday that it is “[w]ild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist.”
“I love Puerto Rico and vacation there,” Hinchcliffe added in his post. “I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon.”
Puerto Rican rapper and superstar Bad Bunny also shared Harris’s Instagram video featuring the comments about the task force on his Instagram story Sunday.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Harris unveils new Puerto Rico policy plans in Philly campaign swing
John Cole
Sun, October 27, 2024
Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris alongside Philadelphia City Council member Quetcy Lozada (r) and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker greets supporters at Freddy & Tony’s Restaurant, a locally-owned Puerto Rican restaurant on October 27, 2024 in Philadelphia.(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA— Vice President Kamala Harris’ 20th visit to Pennsylvania of the year included a busy day of campaigning across the state’s biggest Democratic stronghold. As she sought to shore up support among her base, Harris also spoke about a new policy proposal focused on Puerto Rico, during a stop at Puerto Rican eatery Freddy and Tony’s Restaurant.
“Philly, we have nine days, nine days to get this done,” Harris said during an afternoon rally at the Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center. A few thousand people gathered at the youth basketball facility in Northwest Philadelphia to hear from Harris, Philadelphia’s first Black woman mayor Cherelle Parker, and state House Speaker Joanna McClinton, the first Black woman to hold that title. “And for the next nine days, no one can sit on the sidelines.”
Harris, the Democratic Party candidate for president, said that since the beginning, her campaign has been about “building coalitions.” Her visit to Philadelphia on Sunday had a particular emphasis on Black and Latino voters, two demographics key to winning the city, and the state.
Harris described the “opportunity economy” for Puerto Rico she had announced on social media earlier in the day to a gathering at Freddy and Tony’s Restaurant. By Sunday evening, the post had already been shared by prominent Puerto Rican celebrities Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin.
“It’s about giving people access to opportunity, knowing that the people in all communities — in all communities — they want, yes, a job, but they want to be able to build wealth,” she said, according to pool reports. “They want to be able to build intergenerational wealth, home ownership, small business growth, right? So I call it an opportunity economy. The thing I mentioned this morning is I’m going to create basically an opportunity economy Task Force for Puerto Rico.”
She said the task force would be focused on bringing economic opportunities to the Puerto Rican island and address the ongoing problems with the electrical grid in Puerto Rico, per pool reports.
Philadelphia has the second-largest stateside Puerto Rican population among U.S. cities, only trailing New York City, according to the 2020 Census. The Center for Puerto Rican Studies reported that as of 2019, just under 500,000 Puerto Ricans live in Pennsylvania, making it the state with the third largest concentration in the nation.
Harris and Trump have not talked about Puerto Rico at length during previous campaign appearances in Pennsylvania, although some Republicans have used the discussion of Puerto Rico statehood as a campaign issue and as a reason to vote against Democrats.
The Trump campaign has made an effort to win over Latino voters in Pennsylvania, including opening a “Latino Americans for Trump” office in Reading.
Polling throughout this cycle shows that Trump has continued to make gains with Latino voters, although Harris still maintains an advantage.
During a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made disparaging remarks about Puerto Rico that quickly went viral on social media.
“I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” Hinchcliffe said. which received a “scattering of claps and jeers,” according to NBC News. The Trump campaign reportedly responded saying that “this joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Harris, who arrived in Philadelphia late Saturday, began her Sunday morning attending services at The Church of Christian Compassion in West Philadelphia. There, she talked about the lessons she learned as a little girl at the church where she worshiped in Oakland, California, according to pool reports.
Harris next stopped by nearby barbershop Philly Cuts, for a conversation with young Black men and community leaders. During this appearance, she highlighted the need to recruit and retain more Black men teachers “because we know the benefit to overall society,” according to pool reports. That idea is part of an economic agenda focused on Black men that Harris announced earlier this month.
During the 2020 election, Joe Biden received significant support from Black voters, although the support was stronger among women than men. National exit polling shows that 90% of Black women voted for Biden over then-President Donald Trump, while 79% of Black men voted for Biden. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump gaining ground with Hispanic and Black voters. The Trump campaign has also held multiple events during the year with the intention of winning over Black voters in Philadelphia.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat representing Georgia, told reporters in Philadelphia on Oct. 23 that he believed Harris would still win votes from Black men.
“Let me say that the Vice President has always been focused on Black men, as she’s been focused on other parts of our coalition, and I have heard this reporting about Black men jumping on the Trump bandwagon. I do not believe that we will see large swaths of black men voting for Donald Trump,” Warnock told reporters. “I think that part of what is going on is an effort to create a bandwagon with the hopes that people will jump on now.”
Warnock added that Black men are not a monolith, saying there will be some who vote for Trump, but emphasized his belief that Trump’s values “don’t align with ours.”
Leading into Harris’ Sunday events, the Trump campaign described the vice president’s visit as an “eleventh-hour swing” resulting in a “stench of desperation.”
“When Kamala is spending her precious little time rallying Democrat base voters just nine days out from Election Day, you know it’s clear that Pennsylvanians are gearing up to reject another four years of unlimited illegal immigration, rising prices, and worsening crime under Kamala and instead vote for peace, prosperity, and stability under President Donald J. Trump,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Kush Desai.
On Sunday, Harris also made a brief visit to Hakim’s Bookstore and Gift Shop, an African American-themed bookstore with books about Africa, civil rights icons, and slavery on the shelves, per pool reports.
“We’re going to do it. Victory runs through Philly. It runs through Pennsylvania,” Harris said, at the bookstore, according to pool reports.
Parker, the city’s 100th mayor, joined Harris for much of the campaigning on Sunday.
Parker highlighted another key component of the current Democratic coalition: the southeastern section of the commonwealth.
“Guess what the difference was between that 2016 vote and that 2020 vote?” Parker said at the afternoon rally. “More people came out to vote in the city of Philadelphia and our neighboring counties.”
She mentioned Philadelphia’s collar counties by name: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery and said “southeastern Pennsylvania is stronger together.”
McClinton cited recent appearances from Harris in Delaware County for a CNN town hall and a Republicans for Harris event in Bucks County as proof that the campaign recognizes how important the region is.
“It’s very crucial, because we understand that while our state is beautiful and awesome and diverse, and they are working in every place to get out the vote, there is a dense voting population on this side of the state, and as a result, so many times the person who wins in these collar counties is the one who will carry,” McClinton told the Capital-Star.
Ray and Margie Willis, who live in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, saw Harris speak on Sunday at the church service and the rally.
When asked which issues were most important to them in the upcoming election, Ray Willis told the Capital-Star “women’s rights and civil rights,” while Margie Willis added “jobs and housing.”
Ray Willis said he’s optimistic about Harris’ chances, given that he believes “you’re going to have a lot of women turning out.” Polling shows Harris leading among women voters, while Trump has led among men.
During Harris’ rally, she was interrupted by a protester who shouted about Gaza.
“I want to talk about Gaza for a minute,” Harris said in response. “We can and we must seize this opportunity to end this war and bring the hostages home.”
“And I will do everything in my power to meet that end,” she added.
Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes make it the largest swing state on the line this year. Trump was most recently in the state on Saturday for a rally in State College. He’s scheduled to return on Tuesday for a roundtable discussion in the Philadelphia suburbs and a rally in the Lehigh Valley.
Randyll Butler, a Philadelphia Youth Basketball Coach, opened up for Harris on Sunday at the rally. She said the nation needs a “role model for all of us,” and that “we need a most valuable player, an MVP” which was followed by “MVP” chants
“This is the fourth quarter,” Butler said. “This race is neck and neck. We cannot get tired, we cannot get complacent, we all have to go out and we have to talk to our families and to our friends and sometimes to the other side about what’s at stake.”
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