Kamala Harris Urges City Of Brotherly Love Voters To Fight Hate During Campaign Stop
Spread love, not hate!
While Donald Trump was leading a hate-speech-filled rally in New York City on Oct. 27, Vice President Kamala Harris chose Philadelphia, known as the City of Brotherly Love, to spread love for voter support, Fox 29 reports.
Harris used her time to campaign at some of Philly’s hot spots, including the Church of Christian Compassion, Philly Cuts Barbershop, Freddy and Tony’s Restaurant, which specializes in Spanish cuisine, and The Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center, a youth recreation center.
Her message was clear when talking to voters in the largest city in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state.
“No one can sit on the sidelines. We are focused on the future, and we are focused on the needs of the American people,” Harris said. “Philadelphia is a very important part of our path to victory. It’s the reason I have been spending time here. But I’m feeling very optimistic about the enthusiasm.”
Each stop featured a new important issue for American voters. While speaking with Black men about how to improve racial representation in the education system at Philly Cuts, she admitted that teachers aren’t paid enough and the rise of student debt is real. Prior to that, she spoke before the Black congregation at Christian Compassion and used the story of the Apostle Paul, who overcame challenges to spread the word of Jesus, to touch on the need to overcome the amount of hate growing in the United States and push love.
“In hard times when we may grow weary in doing good, we must remember the power that works within us, the divine power that transformed Paul’s life, guided him through shipwreck, and sustained him through trials,” Harris said.
While comedian Tony Hinchcliffe attacked the Hispanic community and called the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico a “floating pile of garbage” at Trump’s rally, Harris spoke with supporters, including an unidentified Puerto Rican assistant district attorney at Freddy and Tony’s.
While they insult Latinos and Puerto Rico at the Trump Rally in NY, here is Kamala Harris talking with a young Puerto Rican Asst. District Attorney in Philadelphia about service and community.
She ended her time in Philly at a fan-filled rally. Harris had a number of famous supporters in the city including actors and Marvel superheroes Don Cheadle and Mark Ruffalo, who handed out Harris-Walz swag. Actor Robert De Niro also spoke, calling Trump a “piece of sh*t.”
With less than 10 days until Election Day, Harris and running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are hitting the campaign trail hard to secure voter support.
According to WHYY, while Harris was covering Philadelphia, Walz visited Las Vegas, with plans to stop in Manitowoc and Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Oct. 28. The next day, Harris is scheduled to return to Washington, D.C. for what her team calls her “closing argument,” giving a speech from the Ellipse, the grassy space close to the White House where Trump spoke before an angry mob on Jan. 6, 2021.
The retailer took to Instagram on Oct. 24 to announce the decorated music and screen star as its newest face.
“Introducing American Icon @queenlatifah for Good American. Queen is a true trailblazer who has redefined the entertainment industry, breaking boundaries in music, film, and television,” the company wrote.
Captured by renowned photographer Cass Bird and styled by Julia Sarr-Jamois, the campaign features Queen Latifah in a fall-inspired look reminiscent of her iconic ’90s “Living Single” style with comfortably sized blazers and denim that she sports with a modern twist.
“What makes an icon? Being so good at being who you are that people say, ‘Damn, who is that?” Latifah says in the video campaign shared on Instagram.
“I stand for women. I stand for my beautiful Blackness. I stand for humanity,” she continued.
Queen Latifah was the ideal choice for the campaign, which honors trailblazing women who have defied convention to make a lasting impact and open doors for women everywhere, as noted by ABC News. The new icon collection, which includes sizing from XXS through 5XL, is priced from $59 for T-shirts to $269 for faux leather trenches.
“American Icon Queen Latifah is a trailblazer who has redefined entertainment — breaking boundaries in music, film, and TV,” Good American said in a statement. “With Grammy wins, an Academy Award nomination, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, her legacy of strength and empowerment inspires all to embrace their individuality. We’re honored to spotlight her as a true embodiment of what it means to be an icon.”
The new campaign follows Queen Latifah’s announcement of the biopic she’s producing with her Flavor Unit Entertainment partner Shakim Compere, in partnership with Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Jesse Collins Entertainment. The venture highlights the significance of hip-hop and how it helped to launch their careers.
“We all came into this industry together, and Hip Hop has shaped each and every one of us,” Latifah and Compere said in a statement announcing the project and the partnership with their longtime friend Will Smith.
“Hip Hop’s impact has expanded beyond just music and has created a lasting impression on culture and society overall. It is a dream to be able to collaborate with friends and colleagues that have not only a shared understanding but are able to tell these stories that were the backdrop of our lives.”
The latest addition to her trailblazing portfolio includes receiving the 2023 National Medal of Arts award from President Joe Biden last week. During a private ceremony at the White House, Queen Latifah was one of nine recipients, becoming the second rapper, after Missy Elliot, to receive the high honor.
Missy and Queen received their awards together as the pandemic delayed the 2022 recipients from receiving theirs in a ceremony until this year.
“And a BiG CONGRATS to my sis @IAMQUEENLATIFAH, who deserve all the bouquets she also was honored today!” Missy tweeted. “Thank you for kicking down doors QUEEN for me & those after you🙏🏾🫶🏾”
New York Mayor Eric Adams Says Donald Trump Isn’t A Fascist
As concerns over Trump's fitness to be president mount, the beleaguered mayor stayed non-committal.
Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said ahead of former President Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden that he doesn’t believe Trump is a fascist.
According to Politico, on Oct. 26, Adams told reporters gathered at a press conference at the New York Police Department headquarters that he believes comparisons to Nazi leader Adolph Hitler are overblown. When asked if he believes, as does Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump’s former Chief of Staff John Kelly, that the former president is a fascist, Adams replied, “My answer is no, I know what Hitler has done, and I know what a fascist regime looks like.”
“But in the nine years that he has been running for or serving as president, Mr. Trump has regularly evoked the language, history, and motifs of fascism without hesitation or evident concern about how it would make him look,” political reporter Peter Baker wrote.
The Times added that “no American commander in chief over the past couple of centuries has so aggressively sought to discredit the institutions of democracy at home while so openly embracing and envying dictators abroad.” Additionally, no president “has been publicly accused of fascism by his own handpicked top adviser who spent day after day with him in the Oval Office.”
According to Politico, some of Adams’ reticence to criticize Trump is because Adams is courting his support amid floundering support stemming from a federal investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption.
A New York Times/Siena poll currently shows Adams polling behind both former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York Attorney General Leticia James among likely Democratic voters.
In addition, Adams is more popular with Republican voters, who are more likely to say that he has done nothing wrong. Democratic voters including Black and Latinx voters, once a strong bloc for Adams, have soured on the mayor since his 2021 victory.
The only presumed candidate in the race for mayor to comment on the poll was Jessica Ramos.
“New Yorkers lost faith in Eric Adams before the Southern District confirmed his corruption,” she told Politico. “It’s telling that he declined to show up to the first forum in the Bronx to defend his record and share his vision. He has the polling to show that working New Yorkers who depended on him have had enough.”
Written By Kevin Moore, founder and managing partner at Serac Ventures, and Darrel Frater, senior associate at Serac Ventures
As Black VCs, we have a lot of conversations with underrepresented founders and founders who lack traditional inroads into the venture capital industry. In recent conversations, one trend continues to emerge: fundraising is more challenging than ever, starting at the top of the funnel with Limited Partners (LPs).
Why has it become even harder for underrepresented founders? Why are they continuing to be overlooked by VCs? And why aren’t VCs able to get the money they need to fund diverse founders?
Although the funding process has always been difficult for women founders and POC-led teams, there was once a glimmer of hope of addressing the issue. After George Floyd’s murder in 2020, VC firms across the United States pledged to face the diversity problem, with many implementing DEI programs and leadership within their companies. However, only a couple of years later, in 2022, only 1% of VC funding went to Black founders, signaling that those promises were short-lived. Here are the five reasons VCs overlook underrepresented founders and how founders, VCs, and LPs can combat them.
They Can’t Relate
Investors spend less time on underrepresented founders’ product slides, 45% less time than teams without minority members. Diverse founders are creating products that white-male VCs don’t necessarily understand or maybe don’t feel connected to. In this macroeconomic climate, VCs are playing it even safer and will not invest in something that doesn’t immediately resonate as a solution to an existing problem with a market to back it. If the problem itself doesn’t evoke empathy, it will be hard to connect with the solution.
While it may seem simple, it’s important to find investors who will relate to the product you’re building. Look at their past investments and interests that align with your product idea. This will help narrow down a list of people most interested in hearing about your product, making the funding process more efficient for both sides.
Structural Barriers
In society writ large, BIPOC and women face general structural barriers to success. When something has been done a certain way for a long time, progress takes time.
Continued conversations and attention to structural barriers within VC can help move the needle forward. We need to have conversations on diversifying teams and why it is important to fund underrepresented founders.
California is the first state to bring attention to discrimination in VC. In October 2023, California passed a bill (SB54) that will require VC firms to report on their number of investments in diverse founders. Going into action in March 2025, VC firms will have to annually survey the companies in their portfolio for demographics, including race, ethnicity, disability status, and gender identity. The data will be put into a public database for any interested parties to see.
General network effects
Because of the structure of VCs, there are general network effects that add to the strain of structural barriers. VCs typically invest in their networks and if you have a network that isn’t diverse, it perpetuates bias. The reverse is true as well, where underrepresented founders don’t necessarily have investors and other important stakeholders in their networks.
Networking does not have to be transactional—think of it as building a community. It’s important to build relationships with allies and diversify your network. Attend industry events and conferences to engage with VC leaders and expand your professional circle. Even though an investor or founder may not be the right fit for your business right now, there’s no reason things can’t change in the future. No fund or organization alone can fill the gap; we need to collaborate to create real change.
Pattern Matching
Ultimately, VCs learn from decisions made throughout their careers, leveraging experience to help make business decisions.
Now that we’re no longer in the booming market, many pre-pandemic investor habits are cropping back up, including “pattern matching.” Even though VC is an outlier business, VCs look for certain founder profiles, backgrounds, and heuristics that justify success, often mimicking old patterns that are difficult to change. Investors spend more time on historically underrepresented founders’ team slides, an average of 42 seconds — but why? Investors are much quicker to say yes to a founder with a Stanford, Harvard, or MIT background, the three top schools for funded founders.
Be deliberate in pitch deck presentations to specific investors. Do your research and make sure the investors you’re engaging with align with you and your company — know their portfolio, beliefs, etc. Investors should also be aware of their pattern matching and how it can limit diversity and investment opportunities for their funds, limiting chances to outperform peers.
For underrepresented founders looking for capital, build a strong business that solves a key pain point to attract talent and capital. Think big. Very talented founders tend to be trapped in their small ecosystem. Think creatively, be disruptive, be resourceful. Be able to build with what is at your disposal.
Addressing the Root
The fundraising problem starts at the top of the funnel, with LPs with a lot of institutional money. Some want to invest in diverse, emerging managers, but their minimum check size is so large that they are often relegated to using intermediaries.
In recent years, there has been an exponential increase in the number of emerging managers targeting diverse founders, but the capital bottleneck prevents money from reaching them. One of the problems is that the intermediaries who are hired to allocate to emerging managers use the same due diligence framework to assess emerging managers as they do established managers. No one should ever lower their due diligence standards, but they can adjust them to consider aspects that contribute to that manager’s long-term success.
If emerging managers who have a stated mandate to back diverse founders are unable to raise institutional capital because of capital bottlenecks, this has a significant negative effect on the underrepresented founders they want to back.
Solving the funding gap for underrepresented founders is a complex problem. Some may argue that it’s a lot easier for newer, emerging VC firms to establish from the onset a strategy to include underrepresented founders than it is for older, established firms. Herein lies the irony. While it’s easier for newer firms to have a more inclusive investment mandate, they don’t have the resources or influence to change the funding gap challenges the VC industry faces today.
Miami Heat Unveils Dwyane Wade Statue That Confuses, Angers Fans
After seeing the statue, people are asking for a redo.
The Miami Heat unveiled a bronze statue of the “greatest player in Miami Heat” history, Dwyane Wade, over the weekend, the first player in franchise history to receive such an honor.
“This is crazy,” he said after the statue was revealed outside of the Heat’s arena. “I wanted to feel this. Life goes by so fast, and it’s very rare that we get to feel things because we’re always off to the next thing. I wanted to feel this, man. I wanted to look at it.”
The celebration of Wade and the bronze statue will continue on Oct. 28 when the Heat hosts the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center. This is the 21st anniversary of Wade’s debut with the Heat.
The statue was done by Rotblatt Amrany Studio sculptors Omri Amrany and Oscar León. The pair was also responsible for the “Michael Jordan Spirit” in Chicago, the Kobe Bryant “Black Mamba” statue, and the “Kobe and Gianna Bryant Memorial Statue” in Los Angeles.
But many observers felt the statue looked nothing like the Heat legend, and made their thoughts known on social media.
I’m sorry, but that statute is horrible. Disrespectful to D-Wade.
Wade appeared in 1,054 regular season games, averaging 22.0 points, 5.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.54 steals, and 33.9 minutes. He is one of only three players in NBA history to score at least 20,000,5,000 assists, 4,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals, 800 blocks, and 500 three-point field goals made. The other two are LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley Praises Biden-Harris Administration For Student Debt Relief For Struggling Borrowers
Strong advocates like Rep. Pressley are always needed!
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Ma.) celebrated the new proposed rules that will provide student debt relief to close to eight million borrowers facing hardships, calling them “powerful,” according to a press release shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Pressley has been a vocal advocate of student debt relief alongside her colleague and fellow Massachusetts Democratic leader, Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The new rules came just weeks after Pressley sent a call to action for struggling borrowers to get the relief they needed.
“Government works best when it solves problems and alleviates hardships for the people it serves.” She said that this proposed rule to cancel the student debt for millions of additional borrowers is a powerful example of how the Biden-Harris Administration continues to do just that.
“This will have a lasting and life-changing impact for millions of borrowers who are struggling to balance student loan payments and medical bills, childcare cost expenses and more. The automatic cancellation provision is particularly notable and responsive to calls from borrowers and advocates alike.”
She thanked President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona for fighting student debt relief despite the many efforts of Republican legislators to kill corresponding legislation. “This is the type of leadership we need in this moment,” Pressley continued.
New regulations would prevent borrowers with continuous financial burdens from having to repay their loans. In addition to childcare costs, other identified financial burdens include medical bills, major expenses for caring for loved ones, and economic impacts from a natural disaster.
Pressley has been consistent in her push for relief. In April 2021, the congresswoman, Warren, and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey curated a plan for Biden to cancel student loan debt up to $50,000 for American borrowers. She followed up by testifying during a United States Senate Committee hearing on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs to highlight the number of Americans struggling to repay their student loans going back decades.
“I’ve become all too familiar with the gentle tug of my sleeve or the panicked expression as I meet the eyes of someone drowning in student debt. The grandmother who was still paying off student loans. The young parent who can’t afford childcare or rent and her student loan payments. The teacher who fears losing his teaching license because he can’t come up with that monthly student loan payment, not even the minimum,” Pressley said before Congress.
“The student debt crisis is not naturally occurring. This crisis was crafted in these hallowed halls. Policy decisions were made that ensnared generations in the student debt trap.”
In mid-October 2024, Biden’s team announced an additional $4.5 billion in student debt relief for over 60,000 borrowers who applied for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which has had its share of issues in the past. Before Biden took office, only 7,000 borrowers received forgiveness through the program.
Over the years, the rejection rate was as high as 98% due to “administrative errors and difficult processes.”
Pressley has continued the pledge on the campaign trail with Harris. She has highlighted the dangers of Project 2025, which attacks the Department of Education and “Black jobs” at the federal level, like hers, according to The Bay State Banner. “He’s coming for actual Black jobs,” she said.
“There are three million federal jobs, and one out of every five of them is held by Black folks — so we’re talking about 600,000 Black Americans that stand to have their livelihoods impacted because Project 2025 calls for using executive action from Schedule F for massive firing of dedicated public servants to replace them with Trump loyalists and sycophants.”
Power Of The Ballot Bus Tour Stops Through Georgia To Rally Black Voters
This issue remains concerning for Democrats, who hope to keep the state blue after Joe Biden did in 2020.
The Power Of The Ballot Bus Tour stops in Georgia to rally Black voters as Election Day draws near.
The bus stopped at the Cobb County Civic Center in Marietta on Oct. 27 to encourage the critical electorate to make their votes count. According to Fox 5, speakers from Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. emphasized how Black voters in the Peach State can shape the presidential election.
“You have to be at the polls,” said the Coalition’s executive director, Helen Butler. “It’s time for you to exercise your right to vote. Never, ever give up that power.”
Native public figures like Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta’s Lil Scrappy also spoke to attendees about voting.
“Vote for this young Black lady, for this person we know is going to keep us where we need to be,” stated the rapper and reality star.
The push for Black Georgians to head to the polls comes as early voting has yielded less-than-stellar results in this demographic. While Georgia had a record-breaking turnout of early voters, the numbers for Black voters, who comprise one-third of the state’s electorate, have not matched. BLACK ENTERPRISE previously covered the low turnout for voters of color.
However, this issue remains concerning for Democrats, who hope to keep the state blue after Joe Biden did in 2020. Moreover, Georgia is considered to be a critical battleground state. Harris and Trump visited the Southern state several times during the election’s final weeks.
“They have to know that there are no barriers they can’t overcome,” Butler added. “Don’t be afraid. Don’t be intimidated. We are there to help you. We have lawyers on duty, so don’t listen to the misinformation, disinformation.”
Multiple organizations, such as the Legal Defense Fund and ACLU of Georgia, are combating misinformation for voters.
While other speakers at the rally veered into far right and fascist talking points, Phil McGraw focused on what he perceived to be cancel culture
At a rally in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27, television personality Dr. Phil’s endorsement of former president Donald Trump was arguably the most tame speech of the evening.
According to Deadline, although McGraw previously declined to endorse Trump in an interview he conducted earlier in 2024, he did signal his support for Trump’s unfounded claims that the 2020 election had been stolen from him.
At the rally, however, McGraw abandoned this stance and said he was at the rally to “stand up for Donald J. Trump” before adding, “Lord knows, he doesn’t need me to stand up for him. He’s tough as an old army boot. He’s got lots of enemies, different groups that are scared, and between them, they have impeached him, indicted him, raided him, railroaded him, shot him, and sued him. And where is he? He is still standing.”
McGraw indicated during his remarks that he believes Trump supporters are victims of so-called cancel culture, saying Trump’s supporters are “canceled, intimidated, marginalized, excluded or even fired or boycotted.”
McGraw continued his defense of Trump supporters, remarking that “When you attack a citizen, and you use the power of the Internet, you use mob mentality, you incite people to gang up and cause boycotts, then it is beyond ugly. And that is what is happening in this country right now, and that is not OK.”
“There is an imbalance of power there, and it is time that every one of us close ranks. We have to stop this now,” McGraw said. “It’s time that we push back against cancel culture. It’s time that we push back against intimidation tactics.”
Trump himself repeated his claims that he will end the alleged “migrant invasion” if he is elected.
In addition to his comment about Puerto Rico, comedian and far-right podcast host, Tony Hinchcliffe, attacked Latinx Americans, Black Americans, and Jewish Americans, all groups Trump has been criticized for offending at various points during his presidential campaign.
Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Puerto Rican and a House Democrat representing New York made a statement on his personal Twitter account decrying Hinchcliffe’s comments.
Tony Hinchcliffe, who is one of the speakers at Donald Trump’s rally at MSG, felt the need to hurl a racist insult at the people of Puerto Rico: “there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
“As a Puerto Rican, I am tempted to call Hinchcliffe racist garbage but doing so would be an insult to garbage,” Torres wrote. “When casting their ballots at the voting booth, Latinos should never forget the racism that Donald Trump seems all too willing to platform.”
According to CNN, the remarks also led Puerto Rican global superstar Bad Bunny to lend support to Vice President Kamala Harris. According to his team, it is not a formal endorsement of Harris.
Bad Bunny reshares Kamala Harris video on Instagram outlining her policy to uplift Puerto Ricans. pic.twitter.com/9iwtPAQlP4
In the video Bad Bunny shared on his Instagram account, which reached at least 45 million people who follow him, there is an emphasis placed on Harris’ criticism of Trump’s handling of Hurricane Maria in 2017.
“I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader,” Vice President Harris says in the video, which Bad Bunny reshared multiple times. “He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults.”
According to The New York Times, Trump’s rally was a “carnival of grievances, misogyny and racism.”
According to NPR, Fox News host Tucker Carlson alluded in his remarks to the great replacement conspiracy theory that underpinned the violent unrest provoked by Nazis in 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, which Trump infamously characterized as having “very fine people” on both sides.
“People know in a country that has been taken over by a leadership class that actually despises them and their values and their history and their culture and their customs, really hates them to the point that it’s trying to replace them,” Carlson said. “They know someone who actually has affection for them, and that’s Donald Trump. And it’s requited.”
Trump also continued using fascist talking points, attempting to clarify his “enemy from within” motif from the past few months.
“They’re smart, and they’re vicious, and we have to defeat them,” Trump said. “And when I say, ‘the enemy from within,’ the other side goes crazy. Becomes a sound – ‘oh, how can he say’ – no, they’ve done very bad things to this country. They are indeed the enemy from within.”
Sen. Raphael Warnock Brings Over $22M For Georgia Residents To Access Technology
The funding will expand digital literacy programs and communal access to technology.
Sen. Raphael Warnock has garnered over $22 million for his Device For Every American Act, ensuring that more Georgia residents can access technology.
Warnock announced the news on Oct. 25. The funding will reduce inequitable access to technological devices across the state. The bill, supported by fellow Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, will expand digital literacy programs and communal access to technology. Moreover, it should make internet costs more affordable for many households.
For both senators, closing the digital divide remains a priority for all to evolve in this digital age. Warnock released a statement on the matter, stating that the federal funding will significantly help eliminate this equity issue.
“I am proud to have secured provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make this federal funding possible and help close the digital divide for communities across Georgia–particularly in our rural and underserved communities that for too long have been left behind,” said Senator Reverend Warnock, in a news release on his website. “It is not enough to just put fiber cables in the ground. We need to make sure our communities have the devices, resources, training, and low costs that will allow Georgians to participate and thrive in our increasingly digital economy, and this multi-million dollar grant will do just that by creating digital literacy programs, expanding community access to computers and tablets, lowering costs to get connected, and more.”
The act is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It will help address the 4.4. million households across the country that do not have consistent access to a computer. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will distribute the grant while the state rolls out its digital equity plans.
Sen. Ossoff added, “Our historic bipartisan infrastructure law continues to deliver for Georgia, including historic Federal funding Senator Warnock and I have delivered to surge broadband connectivity across our state. Today’s announcement is another major next step toward ensuring every Georgia family, business, and farm has high-speed Internet.”
This initiative will also directly impact Black families. According to the findings revealed by McKinsey & Co., roughly 31% of Black Americans do not have a home computer — furthermore, 38% lack high-speed internet access as of 2023. Warnock’s ongoing commitment to digital and broadband expansion in rural areas and beyond seeks to help all get connected.
The rally, held on Oct. 27 at Madison Square Garden, brought out thousands of supporters who wanted to hear the Republican presidential candidate speak, just under 10 days until Election Day. Hinchcliffe was one of dozens of celebrities scheduled to speak. However, his tone-deaf and racist remarks drew considerable backlash. He attacked the island of Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory, to test the audience.
“There’s a lot going on like. I don’t know if you guys know this, but there is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. Yeah, I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” he said, met with an awkward response.
“Okay, alright, we’re getting there. Again, normally, I don’t follow the national anthem.”
As a Puerto Rican, I'm tempted to call Tony Hinchcliffe racist garbage, but doing so would be an insult to garbage.
When casting their ballots at the voting booth, Latinos should never forget the racism that Donald Trump seems all too willing to platform.pic.twitter.com/Wlrulb5ygq
Before that, he joked about the amount of Latino babies being born, claiming the demographic loves “making babies.” “There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country,” Hinchcliffe said.
Known for his comedic roasting capabilities, Hinchcliffe turned his attention to Black people, pointing out a Black man in the crowd. The unidentified man had something on his head that the comedian called a “lampshade.” “Cool Black guy with the thing on his head. What the hell is that a lampshade? Look at this guy. Wow,” he said.
“I’m just kidding. That’s one of my buddies. He had a Halloween party last night. We had fun. We carved watermelons together. It was awesome.”
In reference to a Black person, Tony Hinchcliffe said: “He had a Halloween party last night. We had fun. We carved watermelons together.” pic.twitter.com/FcbyBklN5e
He wasn’t the only speaker who used their time at the podium to spout racist and hurtful remarks about the Democratic Party and Vice President Kamala Harris. David Rem, Trump’s childhood friend, called Harris the “Antichrist” while media host Tucker Carlson attacked Harris’ resume and miscategorized her racial identity.
“It’s going to be pretty tough for them. Say Kamala Harris got 85 million votes because she’s so impressive. She’s the first Samoan Malaysian low-IQ former California prosecutor ever to be elected president,” he said.
Tucker: it's going to be pretty tough for them.. say.. Kamala Harris, she got 85 million votes because she's so impressive. As the first is a Samoan Malaysian low I.Q. former California prosecutor ever to be elected president.. pic.twitter.com/s0Vtbzhbgp
Following Hinchcliffe’s comments, Harris received an influx of support from famous Puerto Ricans, including pop star Bad Bunny. Just minutes later, he endorsed the candidate by using a video of Harris calling Trump out for his response to Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Bad Bunny reshares Kamala Harris video on Instagram outlining her policy to uplift Puerto Ricans. pic.twitter.com/9iwtPAQlP4
Some of the heaviest backlash came from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y), who, as a Puerto Rican, was offended by the remarks and chimed in while streaming on Twitch with Vice Presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. After identifying who the comedian was, she labeled his comments as “disappointing.” “I need people to understand that when you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico floating garbage, know that that’s what they think about you,” she said.
WATCH: “Who is that jackwad? Dude, are you serious? — This is what they think of anyone that makes less money than them.”@GovTimWalz & @AOC react to @TonyHinchcliffe calling Puerto Rico “an island of Floating garbage” at Trump’s rally, say they hope everyone sees the clip. pic.twitter.com/lgm5JFv8a2
According to ABC 6, Trump’s campaign didn’t think the joke was funny. Senior Adviser Danielle Alvarez said, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott said the comedian “bombed,” while House Republican Maria Salazar said she was “disgusted” by Hinchcliffe’s comments.
