CNN commentator Van Jones said a comedian at a Trump rally made a joke about the island that “ignited” the Puerto Rican vote in Pennsylvania.
“There's energy. It's surging,” Jones said during CNN's election coverage. “Puerto Rican voting itself is on fire.”
He cited Puerto Rico's PAC La Brega y Fuerzapreviously said he was “begging for money,” but after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made a joke at a Madison Square Garden rally hosted by former President Trump on Oct. It exploded “like wildfire.”
Hinchcliffe likened Puerto Rico to a “floating island of trash,” prompting backlash from prominent Latinos and Republicans. Vice President Harris and Democrats are amplifying their rhetoric as a boost to voter turnout.
According to the Harris campaign, Pennsylvania's 3rd District, which has the highest concentration of registered Puerto Rican voters in the city, had already reached 79% of its total 2020 turnout as of noon Tuesday.
“If you were to talk to me a week ago, two weeks ago, I would be biting my nails below the elbow,” Jones said. “I was just worried.”
Pennsylvania voting ends at 8 p.m.
