2 weeks Ago By Housnia Shams
In eastern Pennsylvania’s largely Hispanic city of Allentown, residents have been left fuming over a racist joke made about Puerto Rico at a Donald Trump rally, with some locals describing the incident as a “tipping point.” Backlash against Trump’s campaign continues days after a comedian at the New York rally called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” Proud Puerto Rican and longtime Allentown local Angelo Ortega described the comments as “degrading," saying that while he was a registered Republican, he would vote for Democrat Kamala Harris on Election Day.
Pa. County that has picked winner since 1920 detail who they are voting for Pennsylvanians slam Elon Musk's 'disgraceful and disgusting' $1m giveaway “We cannot let the lack of respect take away from our dignity,” he said. "His [Trump's] words of hate are demeaning, dehumanizing, and continue to bring down our country and our communities.
" Ortega said many fellow Hispanic voters he has spoken to since the incident have turned away from the Republican Party. “I'm receiving texts left and right. This is the straw that breaks the camel's back.
He [Trump] has picked on Mexicans. He's picked on all kinds of races..
.in effect he's alienating himself,” he said. Some Trump allies have condemned the comments by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe and voiced concerns that the New York rally has served as a liability, given the electoral significance of Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania and other key swing states.
Across Pennsylvania, around 620,000 eligible voters are Latino. More than 470,000 of them are Puerto Ricans. Trump’s campaign has publicly distanced itself from the joke, saying it "does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.
" On Tuesday night, Trump told Fox News that he knew nothing about Hinchcliffe, adding that, “I can’t imagine it’s a big deal.” He later agreed that the comic probably “shouldn’t have been there.” Trump said people were trying to make the comedian’s appearance into a “big deal” when it “has nothing to do with the party, has nothing to do with us.
” Swing state Muslim voters feel 'betrayed' by Democrats as they turn to Trump View's Sunny tells Puerto Ricans to 'take out the trash' with vote against Trump Tony Hinchcliffe's Trump MSG rally joke backfires as campaign distances itself On Tuesday, President Joe Biden denounced the comic’s joke and said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.” He later clarified his comment, saying he was talking about “the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporters.” Armando Jimenez, an Allentown resident and member of the Latino advocacy group, Make the Road Action PA, said the incident at Trump’s rally was a “tipping point” for many Hispanic voters.
“People are starting to question if he [Trump] really supports immigrants...
this is just part of his long track record of racism towards our communities,” he said. “This was a so-called political rally and it showed that it was just a hate rally.” On Tuesday, Trump held a campaign rally in Allentown.
Jimenez and other members of Make the Road Action PA staged a protest near the event. “We’re from different backgrounds - Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Peruvians - but we all felt attacked,” he said. The comments at the New York rally have sparked outrage from Puerto Rican leaders.
The archbishop of Puerto Rico called on Trump to denounce them, saying it wasn’t enough for the campaign to say the joke didn’t reflect Trump’s views. Meanwhile, the president of Puerto Rico’s Republican Party called the “poor attempt at comedy” by Hinchcliffe “disgraceful, ignorant and totally reprehensible.” Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Nicky Jam withdrew his endorsement of Trump following the incident, saying “never in my life did I think that a month later a comedian was going to come to criticize my country and speak badly of my country.
..respect Puerto Rico.
” Other Puerto Rican stars including Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin threw their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris..
