Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania protest Trump after racist rally joke

Driving the news: Latino advocacy group Make the Road Action PA planned a counterprotest near Trump's rally Tuesday in Allentown, two days after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe compared Puerto Rico to "a floating island of garbage." Pennsylvania's third-largest city is home to more than 34,000 Puerto Ricans.

• The comedian's comments have created a "firestorm" among some Latino voters in Pennsylvania, Rafael Collazo, executive director of UnidosUS Action Fund and Action PAC, tells Axios.
• UnidosUS is organizing a rally Saturday at Philadelphia's Esperanza Arts Center.

The big picture: Puerto Ricans make up a significant part of the growing Latino electorate, particularly in Pennsylvania and other crucial swing states.

• More than 5 million people identifying as Puerto Rican live in the United States — including about 472,000 in Pennsylvania.
• In the final stretch of the race, both campaigns have attempted to appeal to Latino voters, who will be critical in key battleground states.

State of play: Trump has sought to distance himself from Hinchcliffe as Democrats and some Republicans slam the comedian's disparaging rhetoric.

• Trump adamantly denied knowing the comedian to ABC News' Rachel Scott on Tuesday, and insisted he had not seen his viral remarks.
• "This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign," Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement earlier this week.

What they're saying: "This has been a clarion call for the community and Puerto Ricans throughout the country," says Collazo, who lives in Philadelphia. "The only 'garbage' is going to be Trump's candidacy on Election Day."

• Collazo says his group has heard a growing disaffection with Trump from Latinos while door-knocking across Philly and Reading over the last month.

Former Philadelphia Councilmember Maria Quiñones Sánchez tells Axios she expects Philly's Puerto Rican contingent to respond forcefully after enduring a long list of insults from Trump's campaign.

• The remarks could encourage undecided voters who were waiting for Vice President Kamala Harris to "become their perfect candidate," she says.
• "We're very good at reacting to crises and when they try to smack us down," Quiñones Sánchez says.

Mike Toledo, president of Reading's Centro Hispano Hispanic Center, tells Axios the comedian's comments "awakened a sleeping giant."

The other side: David Rodriguez, who is Puerto Rican and the Republican leader of North Philly's 42nd Ward, acknowledged that the comedian's remarks were offensive but told Axios he didn't expect them to sway voters in his area, which includes Feltonville and Olney.

• "The economy is out of control and the only one who can fix it is Trump," he says.

Vince Fenerty, head of the Philadelphia Republican City Committee, tells Axios he expects the city's Latino voters to be more motivated by policy issues around the economy, immigration and crime than the crude comments.

• "I would very much hope people realize it didn't come out of Trump's mouth," he said.

The bottom line: Mike Madrid, a Latino voter trends expert and co-founder of The Lincoln Project, tells Axios' Kim Bojórquez that the latest misstep, coupled with key endorsements from Puerto Rican celebrities, could turn the tide against Trump.

• "If [voters] make even a 1% or 2% dent, it will determine the outcome of the Pennsylvania election," he says.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that David Rodriguez represents Republicans in North Philly's 42nd Ward (not the entire ward).