2 weeks Ago By NPR Washington Desk
Vice President Harris was promoting a new pledge to boost Puerto Rico’s economy in Philadelphia on Sunday — contrasting her approach with that of former President Donald Trump — when her message got some unexpected traction thanks to her opponent’s rally in New York. A comedian warming up the crowd at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” — drawing outrage from Boricuas far and wide, and boosting support for Harris’ message. Megastar Bad Bunny posted Harris’ Puerto Rico pledge to his 45 million Instagram followers, and other Puerto Rican artists followed suit.
The 'joke' could have political impact in a key state Puerto Ricans living on the island don’t get to vote in the presidential election. But Boricuas living on the mainland do – and in Pennsylvania, a pivotal state in this year’s race, they wield significant clout. According to UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute, about 580,000 Latinos in Pennsylvania can vote in this election – and most of them are Puerto Rican.
Harris made the rounds at Freddy and Tony’s Restaurant on Sunday, a Puerto Rican mainstay in Philadelphia. She had earlier announced in a straight-to-camera video message that she would create a new Puerto Rico Opportunity Task Force if she wins the election. Harris said the federal government would work with the private sector and island leaders to find ways to create more jobs there, and also pledged to rebuild the island’s rickety power grid.
“I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and competent leader,” Harris said. After Hurricane Maria hit the island in 2017, Trump questioned the death toll and fought with San Juan’s mayor over the federal response to the disaster. During a visit to the island after the storm, he infamously threw rolls of paper towels into a group of people at a church collecting supplies.
Trump’s campaign disavowed the comedian’s joke about about Puerto Rico, and a flurry of Republican politicians also followed suit.
