Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign swiftly responded to the racist and inflammatory rhetoric from speakers at a rally for former President Donald Trump. These derogatory comments were directed at Puerto Ricans, including calling the island “an island of garbage,” and racist slurs targeting various groups, including Latinos, African Americans, Palestinians, and Jews. One speaker also referred to Harris as “the devil” and “the Antichrist.”
The timing of these remarks is notable as Harris was in Philadelphia courting the support of Pennsylvania’s Puerto Rican community, a crucial voter base in the state. During her visit, she highlighted a new economic plan for Puerto Rico and spoke about her previous efforts to support the island, especially in the wake of Hurricane Maria. By quickly denouncing these inflammatory remarks, Harris’s campaign positioned her as standing in solidarity with the communities being targeted and underscoring her advocacy for Puerto Rico.
This situation reflects ongoing racial tensions and the deep divisions in the political landscape, particularly as Harris works to rally support among minority communities in key battleground states.
“This is not a new area of focus for me,” she said. She received a warm reception from the crowd, with chants of “Sí, se puede.”
In her preemptive video message to Puerto Rican voters ahead of the Trump rally, Vice President Kamala Harris criticized former President Donald Trump’s response to Puerto Rico during his time in office, particularly following the devastation caused by back-to-back hurricanes.
Harris highlighted that Trump resisted sending substantial aid to the island and mocked his much-criticized gesture of tossing paper towels to a crowd during his visit in 2017, framing his actions as offering “nothing but paper towels and insults.”
By emphasizing this, Harris aimed to contrast her own commitment to Puerto Rico’s recovery and economic development with Trump’s administration, which many viewed as dismissive of the island’s needs.
This messaging likely sought to resonate with Puerto Rican voters, especially given their firsthand experience of the challenges faced during and after Hurricane Maria. Harris’s pointed critique also served to remind voters of the perceived failures of the Trump administration in responding to the crisis, reinforcing the Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing focus on supporting Puerto Rico’s recovery.
“I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader,” she said.
The video gained widespread attention, with Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny sharing it on Instagram. As one of the most prominent and influential Latino artists globally, his endorsement amplified its reach. Other celebrities of Puerto Rican descent, such as Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, also shared the video, further boosting its visibility.
The Trump campaign appeared wary of the political fallout from the “island of garbage” remark and other comments. A senior adviser, Danielle Alvarez, said in a statement, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Meanwhile, at a rally Sunday evening, Harris said “there is too much on the line, and we must not wake up the day after the election and have any regrets about what we could have done in these next nine days. So let’s spend these next nine days knowing we did everything we could.”
