A survey by the Puerto Rico Research Hub at the University of Central Florida showed on Saturday that a significant majority of Puerto Ricans in the state (8 in 10) support Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid for the White House. The figure follows the now infamous controversial remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, when he referred to Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage."
The findings are the most recent example of the fallout from the comment, which has sparked criticism across the aisle with Trump himself summarizing the incident as "one comedian telling one little joke."
A new poll by Noticias Univision and YouGov published on Sunday revealed further blowback from the episode, shedding light on the voting intentions of Latinos in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania, in which Puerto Ricans account for 3.7 percent of its population.
The most revealing insight from the poll is that 69% of respondents viewed comments like referring to Puerto Rico as "a floating island of garbage" as more racist than humorous, while only 17% felt the remarks were intended as jokes. Puerto Rican respondents were particularly affected, with 71% stating that such comments, even if presented as jokes, indicate a degree of racism within the Trump campaign, as Univision reports.
The poll's findings suggest that rhetoric perceived as dismissive of Latino communities could influence voting decisions, with many Pennsylvania Latinos expressing that cultural respect is a priority in their political choices. As the study also states:
"The rally remarks appear to have eroded trust among Latino voters regarding Trump's commitment to the Latino community. According to the survey, over half of respondents (53%) feel that Trump is 'very disrespectful' toward Latinos, with an additional 9% describing him as 'somewhat disrespectful.' Only a small minority, 19%, view Trump as 'very respectful."
These perceptions may be contributing to Latino voters' preference for Harris. Among those surveyed, 64% indicated support for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, compared to 30% who support Donald Trump.
Elsewhere in the study, economic concerns feature in Pennsylvania Latino voters' priorities, though a majority would choose a candidate who demonstrates respect for the Latino community over one focusing solely on economic growth.
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