On Sunday, Puerto Rican music sensation Bad Bunny took a bold stance by sharing Vice President Kamala Harris’ message for Puerto Rico just after an offensive joke was made at Donald Trump’s New York rally, causing widespread anger.
The rally, held at Madison Square Garden in New York, saw stand-up comedian Tony Hinchcliffe deliver a set laced with crude and racist comments targeting key election groups, including Latinos, Jews, and Black people.
This incident comes just nine days before the upcoming election, where every vote counts.
In his routine, Hinchcliffe went so far as to say, “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
The comment quickly drew sharp criticism, especially from Harris’ campaign, which is actively working to win support from Puerto Rican voters in swing states such as Pennsylvania.
Bad Bunny, a proud Puerto Rican with an enormous fan base of 45.6 million Instagram followers, responded to the slur by posting a Story on his account.
The Story featured a clip of Harris condemning Trump’s inaction during the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, which struck Puerto Rico in close succession, leaving widespread destruction. Thousands of lives were lost.
A government report in 2021 revealed that Trump’s administration had delayed over $20 billion in disaster relief for Puerto Rico, highlighting the challenges Puerto Rico faced post-hurricanes.
In his Instagram Story, Bad Bunny shared a video Harris had posted on X (formerly Twitter) earlier that day.
In the clip, Harris expresses her stance on the election, stating, “There is so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico. And this election is not just a choice between Donald Trump and me. It is a choice between two very different visions for our nation.”
He included a second snippet of Harris’ statement, which he played on a loop: “I will never forget what Donald Trump did, and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader. He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults.”
This act earned praise from The View co-host Ana Navarro, who celebrated Bad Bunny, known off-stage as Benito Martínez Ocasio, on X with her message: “F_ck around and find out. After Trump rally speaker calls Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage,’ #BadBunny weighs in, sharing @KamalaHarris proposal for 🇵🇷 with his 45 MM followers.”
Navarro concluded her post with a heartfelt message in Spanish: “Thanks, Benito. A thousand, a thousand thanks for defending your island and the dignity of your people.”
Puerto Rican stars Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin also voiced their support.
Lopez, with her 250 million Instagram followers, posted Harris’ video along with a snapshot of her plans to support Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Martin, with 18.6 million followers, added a clip of Hinchcliffe’s offensive joke, expressing his dismay.
New York Congressman Ritchie Torres chimed in on X, denouncing Hinchcliffe’s remarks: “As a Puerto Rican, I am tempted to call Hinchcliffe racist garbage, but doing so would be an insult to garbage. When casting their ballots at the voting booth, Latinos should never forget the racism that Donald Trump seems all too willing to platform.”
In addition to his remarks about Puerto Rico, Hinchcliffe made a racially charged joke about a Black audience member, saying he had “carved watermelons” with them. This sparked further backlash.
The Democratic group Battleground New York released a statement on Sunday night, condemning the rally as “a torrent of unhinged crazy, racism, and xenophobia.”
They added, “Whether it was targeting Puerto Rico with obscene hate, continuing to claim the 2020 election was stolen, or trying to lay the groundwork to say the same in 2024, this rally was an obscene display of unvarnished bigotry for millions to see.
It’s time to turn the page on this era of politics that’s seen abortion bans, kooky conspiracy theories mainstreamed, and an endless stream of nonsense that does nothing to solve problems for working people.”
