A Trump rally speaker insulted Puerto Rico. Now its most powerful stars are backing Harris.

• A comedian told a Trump rally connected Sunday that Puerto Rico is "a floating land of garbage."
• Puerto Rican celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, responded by showing support for Kamala Harris.
• The incident echoes nan aftermath of Trump spreading a conspiracy mentation astir Haitian migrants.

Puerto Rican celebrities for illustration Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin voiced support for Kamala Harris aft nan land became a focal constituent of a Donald Trump rally.

Tony Hinchcliffe, a speaker astatine Trump's Sunday rally astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York City, said: "I don't cognize if you guys cognize this, but there's virtually a floating land of garbage successful nan mediate of nan water correct now. I deliberation it's called Puerto Rico."

The remark angered Puerto Rican celebrities.

Luis Fonsi, nan vocalist down nan 2017 deed "Despacito," wrote connected his Instagram story: "It's good to person different views, and I respect those who deliberation different than me…. but going down this RACIST way ain't it."

He said: "We are not good pinch this changeless hate. It's been abudantly clear that these group person nary respect for america and yet they want our vote."

Martin shared nan video connected his communicative and captioned it successful Spanish: "This is what they deliberation of us."

On their Instagram stories, Fonsi, Lopez, and Martin shared a video of Harris outlining her scheme to support Puerto Rico if she were elected, and urged their followers to ballot for nan Democratic nominee. Bad Bunny, a rapper and singer, reshared nan aforesaid video connected his communicative 4 times successful a statement without immoderate captions.

None of these celebrities were awesome Republican friends before. Still, high-profile interventions tin energize often-apathetic voters to move out.

CBS News reported successful September that much than 400,000 users visited nan vote.gov elector registration website nan time after Taylor Swift endorsed Harris connected Instagram.

Harris' Instagram relationship shared nan clip earlier connected Sunday. In nan video, she accused Trump of "blocking" assistance after 2 hurricanes deed Puerto Rico successful nan span of 2 weeks successful 2017, causing $90 cardinal successful damage, a 180-day blackout, and sidesplitting an estimated 2,975 people.

Trump said successful 2018 that his administration's consequence to nan hurricanes was "an incredible, unsung success," but it was wide criticized astatine nan time.

In 2021, a study by nan Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General recovered that $20 cardinal successful assistance nan section intended to nonstop to Puerto Rico was delayed owed to interagency reviews nether nan Trump administration. The investigators did not opportunity why these reviews were implemented.

It's not nan first clip Trump and his friends person angered celebrities from a Caribbean community.

Last month, high-profile Haitians including Wyclef Jean, Rep. Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick, nan first Haitian-American successful Congress, and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills characteristic Garcelle Beauvais said retired aft Trump made nan mendacious declare that Haitian migrants successful Springfield, Ohio, were sidesplitting and eating pets.