A Puerto Rican mayor in Texas said that the "bad joke by a comedian" ahead of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's rally in New York on Sunday falls short in relevance among Latinos.
Keller, Texas, Mayor Armin Mizani shrugged off comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's joke likening Puerto Rico to a "floating island of garbage," saying there are bigger issues at stake in next week's election.
"As one of the few Mayors in this country who is actually Puerto Rican (born and raised), lets get real for a moment and let me offer an explanation as to why @realDonaldTrump and @JDVance are surging in the polls amongst Latinos and why they'll continue to do so through election day," the first term mayor wrote in a post to X. "For Latinos, faith, family, and economic opportunity motivates us — not some bad joke by a comedian."
Hinchcliffe's joke ignited outrage among many Puerto Ricans, Hispanics, and the political left. The campaign for Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris seized on the moment, releasing an ad aimed at Puerto Ricans using footage of Hinchcliffe's remarks in the hopes of rallying 11th-hour support from the Latino community.
For his part, Trump said he did not hear Hinchcliffe's joke in the hours preceding his rally speech at Madison Square Garden and said he doesn't know the comic who goes by "Kill Tony."
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., brushed aside the joke by the "insult comic … because that is what insult comedians do."
"What isn't a joke is how Kamala Harris destroyed our economy and allowed dangerous criminals to illegally enter our country and terrorize, rape, and murder Americans," he said in a post to X.
Mizani agreed.
"Under the Biden and Harris administration, Americans have seen record inflation, an open southern border, increased crime, the weakening of the family structure, and the taking away of God from our daily lives," Mizani added. "In contrast, under President Trump, Americans saw secured borders, economic prosperity, a respect for people of faith, and a respect for American values.
"This is why I, along with millions of Latinos, will help re-elect President Trump back into the White House."
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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