Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric and a bad joke from one of this surrogates may have finally gone too far.
As it moves into the final week, the US election campaign remains so tight that most commentators are calling it a toss-up. But Donald Trump ’s campaign may have just dealt itself its own “October surprise” – something no candidate for the US president wants as it stands for a last-minute disaster.
Deep offence at these remarks rippled across America’s Puerto Rican community and beyond. His slur on Puerto Rico drew condemnation across the political spectrum and mobilised a rash of new endorsements for the Harris-Walz campaign. The incident has raised the prospect of a Puerto Rican backlash that could well have an impact on the outcome of the election.
Why Puerto Rico matters Puerto Rico is what is known as an “unincorporated territory” of the United States. Since it is not a state, it does not have any electoral college votes. But Puerto Ricans are citizens of the United States – a status they have enjoyed since 1917 – and can move freely between Puerto Rico and the mainland.
Millions of Puerto Ricans have made successful lives and careers in the US. As of 2021, Puerto Ricans make up 2% of the US population . Despite this relatively low percentage overall, it is the distribution of the Puerto Rican population that makes them important in the presidential election. It’s telling that the Harris-Walz campaign was in Pennsylvania actively courting Latino voters at the same time the rally was underway in New York. The rapid impact from the rally manifested in real time and included the endorsement of the Harris-Walz campaign from world-famous celebrities.
Give Me Perspective Kamala Harris Latino Voters Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Statehood Republican Party US Elections 2024
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