Trump performed well with Puerto Ricans in spite of controversial ‘garbage’ joke

Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory with a significant population of Puerto Ricans, was at the center of controversy during the final days before the election when a comedian made a joke about the island being a “floating pile of garbage” at a Trump rally in New York City. Despite the backlash from the joke, President-elect Donald Trump still managed to win several Florida counties with large Puerto Rican populations that he had lost in previous elections.

Osceola County, home to the largest concentration of Puerto Ricans in Florida, voted in favor of Trump on Election Day after voting Democrat in the last two elections. Miami-Dade and Hillsborough counties, which also have significant Puerto Rican populations, also went for Trump this time around. Additionally, Puerto Rico chose a Trump ally, Jenniffer González-Colón, as its next governor.

Questions arose about how Trump would fare with the Latino electorate after the controversial joke, but it seems that the joke did not have as much of a negative impact as critics expected. While some voters expressed their discomfort with the joke, they ultimately voted for the candidate they believed would provide them with a better future.

In Pennsylvania, Puerto Rican voters told Fox News that the joke did not affect their support for Trump, despite claims from some lawmakers that it would have an impact on the election results. Overall, Hispanic voters were less supportive of Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election compared to President Biden in 2020.

The election results in Florida and Puerto Rico suggest that the controversial joke did not sway Puerto Rican voters away from Trump. It highlights the complexity of Latino voter behavior and the importance of focusing on policy issues rather than inflammatory remarks.