Jimmy Williams
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is responding to racist comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at former President Donald Trump’s rally in New York, rolling out a targeted digital ad campaign to engage Latino voters. The comments, which included crude jokes about Latinos and a reference to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” were made Sunday before Trump’s speech at Madison Square Garden.
The 30-second digital spot, which starts with Hinchcliffe’s remarks, shifts to Trump saying “Puerto Rico” and concludes with Harris addressing Trump’s actions after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017. “I will never forget what Donald Trump did. He abandoned the island and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults,” she says, reinforcing her promise to prioritize Puerto Rican families. “As president, I will always fight for you and your families and together, we can chart a new way forward,” she concludes.
The Harris campaign shared details of the ad with NBC News, highlighting its placement on platforms such as YouTube TV, Hulu, and Snapchat in battleground states, where Latino voters represent a pivotal demographic. According to U.S. Census data, Pennsylvania alone has more than 450,000 Puerto Rican residents, including 300,000 eligible voters. Significant Puerto Rican populations in key swing states like North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Michigan could also impact the race’s outcome.
In addition to the new ad, the Harris campaign will place digital ads in “El Nuevo Día,” Puerto Rico’s leading newspaper, featuring a GIF in Spanish reading, “Focus on your family in the States. One voice, one vote.”
The Trump campaign has attempted to distance itself from the rally’s comments, which high-profile Republicans have since condemned. In contrast, Harris is using the moment to reiterate her policy plans for Puerto Ricans, which she promoted in Pennsylvania during visits to local businesses, including a Puerto Rican restaurant.
Harris’ agenda includes creating an “opportunity economy” for Puerto Ricans, aimed at modernizing infrastructure and improving economic resilience on the island. A key proposal is a plan to build a stable energy grid by cutting through the bureaucratic red tape that has slowed rebuilding efforts since Hurricane Maria. A video summarizing this policy was widely shared by Puerto Rican artists, including Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, and Luis Fonsi. Together, these artists have a combined Instagram following of over 300 million, which Harris’ aides believe will help amplify her message.
This new campaign move underscores the Harris team’s commitment to targeting specific communities with issues that resonate deeply with them and draws a direct contrast with Trump’s approach to Latino and Puerto Rican communities, which Harris’ campaign argues “have been insulted and abandoned by the former president.”
As both campaigns intensify their outreach efforts in the final stretch, Harris’ team is betting that her focus on Latino issues will resonate, building on her recent “opportunity economy” proposal as a central message for Puerto Rican voters.