By Chris Cameron, Joel Wolfram and Mattathias Schwartz
Residents of Puerto Rican descent in Philadelphia expressed their shock and anger earlier this week in response to racist comments made about Puerto Rico and Latinos by a speaker at former President Donald Trump’s rally in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday, joining an escalating public outcry.
The electoral implications of this incident remained uncertain. In a city home to one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the nation — with over 230,000 individuals identifying as Hispanic or Latino — some of Trump’s backers appeared unfazed, even as they condemned the derogatory comments. Additionally, some voters who were not committed to either Trump or former Vice President Kamala Harris did not seem immediately persuaded to alter their stance.
Pennsylvania, potentially the most pivotal presidential battleground in the country, could swing in either direction, with polls indicating a tight race as the Trump and Harris campaigns compete for any edge. Harris and her supporters swiftly responded, using social media and a news conference in Philadelphia to amplify and denounce the inflammatory comments, including remarks from a comedian who referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” The Trump campaign released an uncommon statement distancing itself from those remarks.
Puerto Rican Trump supporters interviewed in Philadelphia did not hold the former president directly accountable, arguing that he did not share those sentiments about the territory, although at least one wished he would more vocally reject them. One Puerto Rican business owner in the Centro de Oro neighborhood, who requested anonymity to prevent any backlash against his business, expressed greater trust in Trump than in Harris regarding economic issues and immigration reduction.
Another Puerto Rican Trump supporter claimed he was not offended by the remarks made about his homeland because they were uttered by a comedian rather than the former president himself. Max Izaguirre, 78, from North Philadelphia, also shared that he agreed with Trump’s assertion that immigration had turned the United States into “like a garbage can for the world.”
“The only issue with Trump is that he talks too much,” Izaguirre remarked. “We need someone strong in the presidency,” he continued. “Someone capable of handling the Russians, the Chinese, and the Iranians.”
Other Puerto Ricans in Philadelphia expressed both shock and a sense of inevitability regarding the offensive comments, stating they reflected a widely held dismissive attitude towards the territory, which has more American citizens than many states yet lacks the rights of statehood or the autonomy of an independent nation. Some noted that Trump’s response to Hurricane Maria, which caused nearly 3,000 fatalities in Puerto Rico in 2017, embodied that mentality.
“This isn’t the first time he has treated Puerto Rican people like we’re insignificant,” stated Raúl Maldonado, a 68-year-old retired tailor. Upon hearing about the offensive remarks from the rally, he expressed his discontent. “He comes here and treats us like we’re second-class citizens,” he said. “That’s just wrong. It’s outrageous.”
Carmen Ramos, 80, shared that the rally comments “made me feel really bad.” If one claims that Puerto Rico is full of garbage, she explained, “you’re calling me garbage.” She and her husband, Hiram Montalvo, both Puerto Rican, cast their votes for Harris at a polling location in Centro de Oro on Monday.
Other Puerto Ricans and Latinos in Philadelphia expressed their disapproval of Trump following the rally, but many stated they were not yet prepared to vote for Harris.
Victoria Aquino, 22, mentioned that she typically does not vote, but intends to participate this year. She acknowledged the need to conduct more research, but reiterated, “I know it definitely won’t be Trump.”
Claribel Nuñez, 36, left a polling location with her ballot in hand, yet admitted she had not completed it. Voicing concerns about the Biden administration’s approach to the conflict in the Middle East, which she termed a “genocide,” Nuñez indicated that she had historically voted for Democratic candidates but was considering backing a third-party candidate this election.
“I don’t believe either party represents me at this point,” Nuñez, whose family hails from the Dominican Republic, expressed. “I’ve felt this way for a long time, but I continued voting Democratic, hoping for a shift eventually. Instead of gradually advancing, things seem to be slowly declining.”
Michelle Martinez, 21, who teaches preschool to predominantly Puerto Rican children in Philadelphia, revealed that she had favored Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent candidate who backed out and endorsed Trump, and was now leaning toward Harris or another third-party candidate. She added that her family seemed similarly divided between supporting Trump and Harris, noting that the comments made about Puerto Rico at Trump’s rally could still influence opinions.
“That’s exactly what occurs in my family,” Martinez remarked. “We aim for a decision on the same day, then we’re like, ‘Actually, we might pivot.’”
