Zoraida Buxo, the Republican shadow senator representing Puerto Rico, has officially backed former President Donald Trump in his bid for the 2024 presidency. This endorsement comes amid heightened attention on Puerto Rico, particularly after a comedian at a recent Trump event at Madison Square Garden made an offhand remark about the island being a “floating island of garbage.”
At a rally in Pennsylvania, Buxo declared, “I strongly and fully support and endorse Donald J. Trump to be our 47th president — to make America great again and, of course, to make Puerto Rico shine again.” She emphasized the need for Trump’s leadership, stating, “We need this man back in the White House. We need this man to be our commander-in-chief. He will make us feel safe, and he will protect us.”
Her participation was part of a Trump rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where she joined two other Hispanic speakers in addressing a community that has recently become predominantly Latino. Florida Senator Marco Rubio was also in attendance.
This endorsement follows a questionable joke by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe during Trump’s event at Madison Square Garden, where he likened Puerto Rico to a “floating island of garbage.” This remark received backlash from both Democrats and some Republicans, including Senator Rubio, while comedian Jon Stewart came to Hinchcliffe’s defense.
In response to the controversy, Trump distanced himself from the comedian’s comments, asserting he had “no idea” who Hinchcliffe was. “Somebody said there was a comedian that joked about Puerto Rico or something, and I have no idea who he is, never saw him, never heard of him and don’t want to hear of him,” Trump stated during an interview on Fox News.
Although Buxo did not directly address Hinchcliffe’s comments in her speech, she implied her stance by stating, “We won’t get rattled, we won’t yield to ignorance [or] foolishness… we will remain focused on what is very important.”
