Less than a week after this announcement he would vote for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harrisformer friend of Donald Trump and ex-Fox News host Geraldo Rivera ” exploded during the racism of the MAGA rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.

“‘A floating island of trash…?’ » Are you talking about Puerto Rico??? “Poisoning the blood of our nation…?” We have “murder in our genes…. ? “F— these racists,” Rivera tweeted. “Latino men of good will, be proud of yourselves and your ancestors. Voting for Trump is voting against self-respect.”

Podcast host and comedian Tony Hinchcliffethe rally’s opening act, insulted Puerto Rico — among a group of other voting blocs of color.

“There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this, but there’s literally a floating island of trash in the middle of the ocean right now,” he said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

The responses were fast and furious:

Commentator Roland Smith: “TO ALL Puerto Ricans, here’s what this guy just said at Donald Trump’s fascist rally at Madison Square Garden. And remember, Trump forced Puerto Rico to wait TWO YEARS for full hurricane relief. Your vote counts.

New York Rep. Richie Torres: “As a Puerto Rican, I am tempted to call Hinchcliffe racist scum, but that would be an insult to scum. When voting in the voting booth, Latinos should never forget the racism that Donald Trump seems to want to highlight.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “You are paving the way for Trump by calling Puerto Rico a floating pile of garbage. More than 4,000 Puerto Ricans died under him. It’s not the Comedy Store. You use your set to empower neo-Nazis like MTG and disenfranchise women back to the Stone Age. Your “sense of humor” doesn’t change anything.

Kamala Harris’ campaign team provided statistics on the number of Puerto Ricans living in swing states: Pennsylvania 450,000; North Carolina 100K; Wisconsin 65,000; Michigan 50,000; Florida 1.1 million; New York 1 million.

GOP members—somehow shocked and surprised by MAGA racism and worried that Puerto Rican voters in Florida would face electoral retaliation—quickly denounced the tasteless phrase.

Florida Representative. Maria Elvia Salazar quickly tweeted: “Disgusted by Tony Hinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ This rhetoric does not reflect the values ​​of the GOP. Puerto Rico sent more than 48,000 troops to Vietnam, and more than 345 Purple Hearts were awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Find out! »

Florida Sen. Rick Scott – who is in a dead heat with former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who is trailing behind. just one point in a recent survey – also quickly abandoned the racist and distasteful joke.

“This joke bombed for a reason” Scott tweeted. “It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are extraordinary people and extraordinary Americans! I have been to the island several times. It’s a beautiful place. Everyone should visit! I will always do whatever I can to help any Puerto Rican in Florida or on the island.

Even though residents of Puerto Rico cannot vote in the U.S. presidential elections despite being U.S. citizens, more than 5.8 million people of Puerto Rican origin living on the continent can vote, according to the Pew Research Center.

Video producer Brett Meiselas said“Trump’s MSG rally is currently sending shockwaves through the Puerto Rican community. It cannot be overstated what a major miscalculation this was. Large Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania, Florida and many Puerto Ricans in Wisconsin as well. These clips are spreading like wildfire.

Puerto Rican influencers spread the clips in their communities.