On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump asserted that no one has “done more for Puerto Rico than I have.”
This statement followed a controversial rally he held at Madison Square Garden, where he faced backlash for promoting xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiments. During this rally, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made an infamous remark about Puerto Rico being a “floating island of garbage.”
Trump made his comments during a community roundtable in Pennsylvania, joined by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and former New York Representative Lee Zeldin.
At the event, Dr. Maribel Valdez, a Puerto Rican native, expressed her unwavering support for Trump, stating, “Puerto Rico stands behind you, and Puerto Rico loves you.”
“Well, we love it,” Trump replied, to the audience’s applause. He continued, “We helped you through a lot of bad storms; no president’s done more for Puerto Rico than I have. Thank you so much for saying that.”
AP/Evan Vucci
This isn’t the first time Trump has claimed to support Puerto Rico; in 2019, he claimed he had done a better job than anyone before him after receiving criticism for suggesting the island was getting excessive disaster aid post-Hurricane Maria in 2017.
His visit to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, where he infamously tossed paper towels into a crowd, drew significant backlash. Carmen Yulin Cruz, the then-mayor of San Juan, criticized his behavior as a publicity stunt, calling it “terrible and abominable.”
Tonight, Trump is set to hold another rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a city known for its large Puerto Rican population. Mayor Matt Tuerk shared earlier with Fox News that many Latino residents are concerned about the negative comments made about their home, which may motivate them to vote for Vice President Harris instead.