Bad Bunny endorses Harris, Trump rally sparks controversy

With 9 days until Election Day, Puerto Rico has been thrust into nan spotlight by some campaigns. Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a scheme to assistance nan land — starring to an endorsement from Bad Bunny — while Puerto Rico was referred to arsenic "a floating land of garbage" by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who said astatine a rally for erstwhile President Donald Trump successful New York City. 

In an effort to tribunal Puerto Rican voters successful nan U.S. mainland, Harris connected Sunday posted a video connected her societal media platforms pledging to create a Puerto Rican task unit to create jobs, trim reddish portion to guarantee disaster betterment costs are utilized quickly and efficiently and activity pinch leaders crossed nan land to guarantee Puerto Ricans person entree to reliable and affordable electricity. 

Rapper and vocalist Bad Bunny, a global superstar from Puerto Rico, shared nan vice president's video connected his Instagram relationship pinch his 45 cardinal followers and later posted a clipped information of nan video successful which Harris slammed Trump for his consequence to Hurricane Maria, which devastated nan land successful 2017. 

"I will ne'er hide what Donald Trump did and what he did not do erstwhile Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader," Harris said successful nan video. "He abandoned nan island, tried to artifact assistance aft back-to-back devastating hurricanes, and offered thing much than insubstantial towels and insults."

In 2017, Trump visited nan land to study harm aft Hurricane Maria struck arsenic a awesome Category 4 storm. While visiting pinch survivors, nan erstwhile president astatine 1 constituent threw insubstantial towels into nan crowd erstwhile distributing supplies, a move that was criticized arsenic callous amid wide vexation complete nan national consequence to nan hurricane that near overmuch of nan land without powerfulness and food. 

A root adjacent to Bad Bunny confirmed to CBS News that nan Instagram station represents an endorsement of nan vice president, breaking from Bad Bunny's longstanding contented to not measurement successful connected nationalist politics. It's a coveted endorsement pinch weight that some governmental parties person agelong hoped to execute to fortify inroads pinch Latino voters, fixed Bad Bunny's world popularity. 

Moments earlier Bad Bunny's endorsement, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe targeted Puerto Rico during a group of disparaging jokes while speaking astatine a Trump rally successful Madison Square Garden. 

"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," Hinchcliffe said. "I deliberation it's called Puerto Rico."

Trump elder advisor Danielle Alvarez told CBS News, "this joke does not bespeak nan views of President Trump aliases nan campaign" adding that nan jokes were not reviewed aliases pre-approved. 

Hinchcliffe's remarks, which besides included violative jokes astir Black group and Latinos, were met pinch swift backlash, pinch respective celebrities coming retired successful defense of Puerto Rico, Latinos successful nan U.S. and voicing their support for Harris' scheme for nan island. Among those who weighed successful were Jennifer Lopez, Ariana DeBose and Ricky Martin. Martin, pinch complete 18  cardinal followers, took to Instagram and posted, "Puerto Rico, this is what they deliberation of us, ballot for Kamala Harris."

Several Democratic and Republican politicians were besides among those to denounce Hinchcliffe's plaything astatine Puerto Ricans, who dress up a important voting group.

Harris' moving mate Gov. Tim Walz said during a livestream pinch Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, "There are hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans crossed battleground states. They request to vote."

Ocasio-Cortez agreed pinch Walz and directed her comments toward Puerto Ricans successful nan important battleground authorities of Pennsylvania. "If you're successful Reading, if you're successful Philly, look astatine that trash," Ocasio-Cortez said, referring to Hinchcliffe's joke. "What is trash is group really conscionable reasoning of different quality beings that way."

Pennsylvania is location to complete 579,000 eligible Latino voters pinch astir 50% domiciled wrong nan "222 Corridor" — a agelong of mini cities westbound and northbound of Philadelphia including Reading, Allentown and Bethlehem. 

With Trump winning nan Keystone State successful 2016 by 44,000 votes and Biden taking it by 81,000 successful 2020, slim margins are again expected to find nan result of nan statesmanlike election.

Harris connected Sunday said straight to Latino voters while visiting a section Puerto Rican edifice successful Philadelphia. "When I was successful nan Senate, knowing Puerto Rico doesn't person a senator, I ever felt a request and an responsibility to do what I could arsenic a legislator to make judge that Puerto Rico's needs were met," Harris said. 

Harris run spokesperson Kevin Muñoz said Sunday successful a statement, "A reminder: Pennsylvania is location to much than 1 cardinal Latinos who are chiefly of Puerto Rican backgrounds, and today, Vice President Harris campaigned successful nan bosom of Philadelphia's Puerto Rican organization talking not conscionable astir her imagination for nan island, but really she will little costs and create opportunity successful their communities connected nan mainland."

On Tuesday, Trump is expected to run successful Allentown, Pennsylvania, wherever Latinos dress up 54% of nan population, nan mostly being of Puerto Rican descent.

Republican Florida Senator Rick Scott, an state of Trump's, besides denounced Hinchcliffe's comments.

"This joke bombed for a reason. It's not funny and it's not true," Scott said. "Puerto Ricans are astonishing group and astonishing Americans! I've been to nan land galore times. It's a beautiful place. Everyone should visit! I will ever do immoderate I tin to thief immoderate Puerto Rican successful Florida aliases connected nan island."

Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar called nan comments "racist."

The island's Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón, a Republican moving for politician of nan island, said nan comments were "despicable, inappropriate and disgusting."

Cristina Corujo and Fin Gómez contributed to this report.