Does Puerto Rico vote for president? What to know about the island's role in the election
Puerto Rico residents outraged by the remarks a conservative comedian made about the island nation during a Sunday rally for Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden won't be able to make their displeasure known at the polls. But it could still impact the presidential race as both candidates vie for Latino voters to help get them to the White House.
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who goes by the stage name Kill Tony, took the stage ahead of Trump during the presidential candidate's hometown campaign rally, where he derided Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
The remarks, which drew condemnation from both sides of the political aisle, sent the Trump campaign into damage control, and his campaign sought to distance Trump from the comments.
Here's what to know about Puerto Rico's role in the Nov. 5 election.
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Does Puerto Rico vote in the 2024 presidential race?
More than two-thirds of Puerto Ricans live in the United States — roughly 5.8 million, according to Pew Research Center. Puerto Rican voters living in the U,S. make up the second-largest Latino group in the country, including in key battleground states like Pennsylvania.
But while an additional 3.3 million Puerto Ricans live on the island, a U.S. territory, they won't be able to vote for president.
However, Puerto Rico residents are able to help choose each party's nominee for president in the primary selection process.
Trump, who is seeing increased support among Latino men and has touted endorsements from Puerto Rican artists like Anuel AA and Nicky Jam, won Puerto Rico's 2024 GOP primary, winning 23 of the territory's Republican delegates.
During Trump’s presidency, Puerto Rico was devastated by two back-to-back hurricanes in 2017 that killed more than 3,000 people and displaced thousands. Trump at the time was criticized for his response to the storms after he downplayed the damage they caused and an image went viral of him throwing rolls of paper towels to residents on the island.
Puerto Rico faces a gubernatorial election this November where the New Progressive Party has the lead.
Trump campaign under fire after Hinchcliffe's remarks
Hinchcliffe spoke at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden several hours before the former president in an opening act.
His remarks drew widespread criticism from Democrats, fellow Republicans and major celebrities even amid the Trump campaign's efforts to distance itself from the comedian.
Senior Trump advisor Danielle Alvarez on Sunday night issued a statement saying “this joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign."
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Puerto Rican celebrities, including Grammy-winning artists Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin condemned Hinchcliffe's comments. Bad Bunny took to his Instagram, where he has 45.6 million followers, to share a video of Harris criticizing Trump’s actions against Puerto Rico when he was president and outlining her own agenda for the island.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, doing live coverage of the rally, also criticized Hinchcliffe and urged Puerto Ricans who live in Pennsylvania to watch the remarks for themselves.
Contributing: Josh Meyer, Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Does Puerto Rico vote in the 2024 presidential race? What to know