‘I Am Puerto Rican…’: Jennifer Lopez Breaks Down At Harris Rally, Slams Trump | Video

Last Updated:November 01, 2024, 17:06 IST

Fighting back tears, Jennifer Lopez said the remarks on Puerto Rico made during Trump's New York rally offended "humanity" and declared support for Harris.

Jennifer Lopez speaks at a campaign rally for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. (Reuters)

American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez became emotional while campaigning for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, saying former US President Donald Trump is offensive to “humanity" after his controversial rally in Madison Square Garden where a comedian made inappropriate remarks towards Puerto Rico.

While campaigning for Harris in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lopez said Trump has consistently worked to divide the country. “It was not just Puerto Ricans who were offended that day. It was every Latino in the country. It was humanity and anyone of decent character," she said, referring to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s remarks calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage".

Lopez’s parents were born in Puerto Rico. Other Puerto Rican celebrities have also been critical of Trump in recent days, with Bad Bunny, one of the world’s biggest Latino music stars, sharing Harris’ platform. The controversial remarks made by Hinchcliffe were also condemned by several Republicans like Nikki Haley.

‘We Are All Americans’: Lopez Slams Trump

At one point, the pop star visibly turned emotional on stage and struggled to hold back tears as she said, “I am Puerto Rican… and yes, I was born here and we are Americans. I am a mother, I am a sister… I like Hollywood endings. I like when the good guy, or in this case (Harris), the good girl wins."

“You know what? We should be emotional. We should be upset. We should be scared and outraged. We should. Our pain matters. We matter. Your voice and your vote matters," she said. “With an understanding of our past and a faith in our future, I will be casting my ballot for Kamala Harris for President of the United States."

Harris’ campaign in Las Vegas with Lopez came with four days left to go for the high-stakes US Election Day – during a swing through the hotly contested Western battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada — where CNN polls released earlier this week showed exceedingly close races with no clear leader.

How The ‘Puerto Rico’ Remarks Sparked A Storm?

Hinchcliffe’s remarks sparked a political storm when he referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage" and made disparaging comments about various groups, including Black Americans and Latinos. The Trump campaign has sought to distance itself from Hinchcliffe, saying his remarks don’t reflect the views of the ex-president.

However, US President Joe Biden’s remarks at a fundraising event, where he attempted to call out racist comments made by Hinchcliffe, set off another row as he appeared to call Trump’s supporters “garbage". Condemning Trump’s demonisation of Latinos, Biden said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters."

Biden’s choice of words quickly drew ire from Trump and other Republicans, who interpreted the statement as an attack on Trump supporters as a whole and drew parallels with Hillary Clinton, as the then-Democratic nominee against Trump in 2016, said half of Trump’s supporters belonged to a “basket of deplorables."

Donning an orange safety vest on Wednesday, Trump held a press conference from the passenger seat of a garbage truck in response to comments made by Biden. “Kamala and Joe call us all garbage. I call you the heart and soul of America," Trump said later during a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also arrived at the Trump rally in a garbage truck.

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

News world ‘I Am Puerto Rican…’: Jennifer Lopez Breaks Down At Harris Rally, Slams Trump | Video