Trump comedian's MSG joke draws huge backlash from Puerto Ricans

• Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's controversial remarks came the same day that Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a new policy platform for Puerto Rico, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
• Puerto Rican celebrities Bad Bunny, JLo and Ricky Martin, who collectively have hundreds of millions of followers, shared Harris' announcement.

The latest: Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement: "This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign."

Driving the news: Hinchcliffe, who has a podcast called "Kill Tony," told an audience Sunday that "there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it's called Puerto Rico."

• He also said "these Latinos, they love making babies," adding: "They do. There's no pulling out. They don't do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country."
• Hinchcliffe's comments drew a strong response from Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), a Cuban American Republican, who said that "rhetoric does not reflect GOP values."
• Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who is up for re-election in Florida, tweeted: "This joke bombed for a reason. It's not funny and it's not true."

The big picture: Hinchcliffe's comments come as Trump and his surrogates have repeatedly made racist remarks about immigrants and have used language echoing the rhetoric of white supremacists and Adolf Hitler.

• Four times last year, Trump referred to immigrants as "poisoning the blood" of the nation, mirroring Hitler's 1925 autobiographical manifesto, "Mein Kampf" — his blueprint for a "pure Aryan" Germany and the removal of Jews.
• Some Republicans also have openly endorsed the once-fringe and racist "white replacement theory" — a conspiracy idea that Jews and people of color are changing America's racial composition by enacting policies that reduce white Americans' political power.
• Trump also has amplified conspiracy theories that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating house pets and repeated it even when it was proven false and a town was besieged by bomb threats.

What he's saying: Hinchcliffe said Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz of had "no sense of humor" in a post to X after the Minnesota governor criticized him for his joke.

• "I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set," he said.

State of play: The Puerto Rico bashing at Trump's rally came the same day that Harris' campaign released a new plan for the U.S. territory focused on growing the island's economy, rebuilding its energy grid and bringing down housing costs.

• "Throughout my career, I've always fought for the people of Puerto Rico. Every chance he got, Donald Trump abandoned and insulted them," Harris posted on X.

• The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) jumped on Hinchcliffe's comments to attack vulnerable House Republicans in districts with large Puerto Rican voters.

The intrigue: The important swing state of Pennsylvania is home to more than 1 million Latinos, many of them are Puerto Ricans who live around Philadephia, Reading, Hazleton, Allentown, Lebanon and Lancaster.

• Puerto Ricans or people of Puerto Rican descent make up about 3.8% of Pennsylvania's population. Puerto Ricans also are key voting blocs in swing U.S. House races in New York and Florida.
• In recent elections, they have shown an independent streak, and it's been difficult to predict how they'll vote.

What they're saying: "The Harris campaign's plan on Puerto Rico also serves as a reminder that other campaigns must be proactive in presenting how they will work to address the disparities in Puerto Rico," Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of Hispanic Federation, said in a statement.

• "As a Puerto Rican who grew up in the archipelago and who has family still living in Puerto Rico, I know personally how difficult it is to see my home neglected and how appreciative I am when campaigns provide meaningful solutions."

What we're watching: Latino voting blocs are crucial in swing states Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia.

• Polls have suggested that Trump is gaining with some Latino voters without doing much targeted outreach.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from the Trump campaign and further context.