INTEL FROM THE IVORY TOWER: Anti-Puerto Rican “Joke” Loved By Republicans

At a rally in Madison Square Garden, a comedian hand-picked by the event organizers to perform insulted Puerto Ricans, blacks and Jews, a clear case of an “own goal” a soccer term for when you score a goal against yourself. But what made this a potential October Surprise was the inability of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance to personally condemn such remarks.

This could tip Pennsylvania, and perhaps other states, to the Democratic Party column.

At the rally, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe said, “I don’t know if you know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” He proceeded to provide other insults to Latinos and African-Americans.

Yahoo posted: “The GOP candidate’s chosen comedian, Tony Hinchcliffe, called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage’ and joked that Latinos produce many children because ‘there’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country,’ ”

Like some others in the MAGA orbit, Hinchcliffe doesn’t realize that Puerto Rico is part of the United States. When he says “they did to our country,” it means he doesn’t think Puerto Ricans are part of America. Given the context of the insult, it’s not about geography. It’s about culture. That’s far worse than the garbage line. That’s why so many other Latinos are justifiably angry. It’s clearly a “they” versus “our,” a clear “us” versus “them” attack line.

Even Bill O’Reilly attacked this line when he spoke on NewsNation.

That’s a bad moment for the Trump Campaign, in their biggest hyped rally of the year. But it’s not just the lack of an attempt at humor with the insult, but the inability of the top of the ticket, in the form of Trump and Vance, to denounce such remarks, that are the most telling.

Trump started his commentary by bragging about crowd sizes. Then he followed it up the way with his usual claims of ignorance, according to Yahoo News. “I don’t know him, someone put him up there. I don’t know who he is,” Trump told her, before insisting that he did not hear the comments that have incensed many in the Latino community, despite the overwhelming coverage of the comments. Even though an advisor to the campaign condemned the remarks, Trump refused to do so, or even apologize. He called his rally “a lovefest.”

Trump followed it up on October 30 with this, according to Newsweek, “What they’ve done is taken somebody that has nothing to do with the party, has nothing to do with us, said something. And they try to make a big deal,” Trump said on Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News. “But I don’t know who it is. I don’t even know who put him in, and I can’t imagine it’s a big deal.”

It reminded Puerto Ricans about the response to Hurricane Maria. Forbes notes Marc Anthony tweeted “I remember what it was like when Trump was president … I remember after Hurricane Maria devastated our island… Trump blocked billions in relief … while thousands died.”

J. D. Vance then poured gasoline on the fire by insulting those who found the comments insulting. “Maybe it’s a stupid racist joke … maybe it’s not,” he told Wisconsinites, according to Forbes. He added, “We are not going to restore the greatness of American civilization if we get offended at every little thing, let’s have a sense of humor.” Those insulted, and others who think ethnic groups shouldn’t be targeted with such attacks would disagree.

Shortly thereafter, when Biden condemned the comedian, Vance latched on to critics who claimed the “garbage” insult was directed at all Trump supporters, instead of not getting “offended at every little thing.” He told Americans not to get offended at a direct insult at Puerto Ricans but got very angry at a debatable insult which he perceived to be directed at his people (which Biden clarified to be against just the comedian).

One wonders why Vance chose not to defend Puerto Ricans with the same vehemence the way he defended MAGA supporters.

John Tures

John A. Tures is Professor of Political Science and Coordinator of the Political Science Program at LaGrange College, in LaGrange, Georgia.