TAMPA, Florida — Presidential candidates are on the campaign trail making the final push for the White House. But just 24 hours after former President Donald Trump held a rally in New York, reaction continues to pour in.
Critics are outraged over comments made by a comedian who called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage," among other remarks.
The Hillsborough County Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida hosted a press conference Monday afternoon with other local officials in response to the remarks.
"It's an absolute when we have brothers and sisters, grandparents, fathers, who served in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and gave their lives for our United States of America," Karen Perez, Hillsborough County school board chair said.
Perez, who is Puerto Rican, urged voters to take their frustrations to the ballot boxes.
Other speakers echoed that urge including Elio Mueller, director of Casa Kamala. Mueller said the remarks can have implications on election results noting how prevalent the voter turnout can be from Puerto Ricans.
"Our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters have power," Mueller said.
A senior adviser for the Trump campaign wrote, "This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign."
U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio have spoken against the remarks on X.
"Puerto Rico isn't garbage, it's home to fellow American citizens who have made tremendous contributions to our country," Rubio wrote in part.
Hillsborough GOP state committeeman Tom Gaitens said the comments were "stupid" and "offensive," and echoed the words are not representative of Mr. Trump.
"Just because you're the top of the ticket doesn't mean everyone who speaks for you represents you," Gaitens said.
However, Democrats at the press conference argue the rhetoric falls in line with the Trump campaign. The jokes from Hinchcliffe also renewed backlash against Trump over his handling of Hurricane Maria.
"They allowed everything to continue," Perez said. "At least for this Puerto Rican, it was too little too late."
Florida has more residents of Puerto Rican origin than any state. Puerto Ricans also make up the second-largest Hispanic voting group in the country, according to the Pew Research Center.