Comedian's 'Garbage' Remark About Puerto Rico At Trump Rally Draws Public Outcry

The Donald Trump rally in New York on Sunday left Puerto Ricans feeling humiliated after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called the island "garbage."

A day later, residents expressed their anger, saying the incident was yet another example of the unfair treatment the island has faced for years. Furthermore, Puerto Rican territory people believe that this anger could impact the presidential election, as per AP News.

Hinchcliffe had said, "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."

The comedian's act also included rude and racist comments about Latinos, Jews, and Black people -- all-important groups in the election.

The United States took control of Puerto Rico from Spain in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. In 1917, the government granted American citizenship to people on the island.

After World War II, many Puerto Ricans moved to the mainland to help fill labor shortages. Now, more Puerto Ricans live on the U.S. mainland than on the island.

Those who stayed often feel like second-class citizens because they can't vote in presidential elections and receive less federal funding than U.S. states.

However, they have strong connections with family and friends on the mainland who do vote. Since the comedian's comment Sunday night, phones have been ringing all over the island, and the calls continued into Monday.

The widespread criticism led to Jenniffer González, Puerto Rico's representative in Congress and a supporter of Trump, saying Hinchcliffe's comments "do not represent the values of the GOP."

Milagros Serrano, 81, whose son lives in the important swing state of Pennsylvania, said her family was very upset by Hinchcliffe's words. "He can't be talking about Puerto Rico like that. He's the one who's a piece of garbage."

Sonia Pérez, a 58-year-old parking lot attendant, said it's been years since she voted for a governor. But, she added, she was so upset by the comedian's comments and González's support for Trump that she planned to vote against Puerto Rico's representative.

"It is outrageous that in the 21st century, there is so much racism against Latinos when we have contributed so much to the country and it is not recognized," she added.

Meanwhile, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris was trying to win support of Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania and other important states, competing with Trump for their votes.