Aubrey Plaza condemns “disgusting” comments about Puerto Rico at Donald Trump rally

Posted On October 30, 2024October 30, 2024

Hollywood star Aubrey Plaza has come forward to criticise the controversial statements made by a speaker at a recent Donald Trump rally in New York. On October 27th, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe took the stage at Madison Square Garden to perform a comedy set in which he referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage.” 

During the Wall Street Journal Magazine Innovator Awards on October 29th, Plaza, who is best known for her roles in Parks and Recreation,The White Lotus, and the series Agatha All Along, voiced her anger at Hinchcliffe’s remarks. 

“I just wanted to very quickly respond to the racist joke that was made at that Trump rally about Puerto Rico, where most of my family is from,” Plaza said on stage, per Variety. “Thankfully, my sweet abuelita wasn’t here to hear that disgusting remark. But if she was alive today, I think she would say, ‘Tony Hinchcliffe, go fuck yourself.’ And yes, the Wall Street Journal can quote me on that.” 

Plaza is just one of the many celebrities of Puerto Rican descent who have condemned the remarks. The rapper Bad Bunny had already voiced his support for Trump’s opponent, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, earlier in the day. Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin joined him. Yesterday, the rapper shared a video on Instagram that celebrated Puerto Rico and its history. In the caption, he wrote, “garbage.” 

Luis Fonsi, the Puerto Rican singer behind the 2017 hit ‘Despacito’, was even more direct. In an Instagram story on October 27th, he shared, “We are not OK with this constant hate. It’s been abundantly clear that these people have no respect for us and yet they want our vote. I purposely wrote this in English cause yes we’re American too.” 

Even Trump’s allies have tried to distance themselves from Hinchcliffe’s remarks, particularly politicians with large Puerto Rican constituencies. “The joke bombed for a reason,” Senator Rick Scott of Florida said. “It’s not funny and it’s not true.” He also added that “Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans.”

Is Puerto Rico an American state?

As Fonsi’s comments allude to, there are still many Americans who are unaware of Puerto Rico’s political status and its relationship the US. The Caribbean island has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since 1898, when it handed over by the Spanish in the Spanish-American War. However, Puerto Ricans have only been officially recognised as US citizens since 1917, and Spanish continues to be the most widely spoken language. 

Since the island is not one of the 50 states, Puerto Ricans do not have a representative in Congress, nor can they vote in U.S. elections unless they live in one of the 50 states or Washington D.C. According to the Pew Research Center, there are approximately 5.4 million Puerto Ricans living in the states as of 2021, compared to about 3.4 million on the island itself in 2024. Puerto Rico has its own government and constitution, but the U.S. government oversees various areas of governance including defence and immigration. 

Puerto Rico’s political status has been hotly contested for decades, and several non-binding votes have taken place on the island for its independence. As recently as 2020, however, the vote has gone in favour of staying part of the United States.

For its part, the US government has been reluctant to incorporate the territory as a state, fearing the financial costs associated with the change and the political costs of adding new representation in Congress.

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