Republican President Donald Trump presented his vision to US voters at a large rally in New York City, but the event sparked a backlash over derogatory jokes about the Hispanic community.

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe joked on stage about Hispanics in the US who “love having babies” and demeaned the Caribbean US territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage”.

Hinchcliffe's comments drew backlash from Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, Democratic lawmakers and well-known celebrities of Puerto Rican descent.

“Puerto Ricans deserve a president who sees their strength and invests in them,” Harris said in a clip posted on social media alongside Hinchcliffe’s comments.

Singer Ricky Martin, one of the island's most successful artists, shared a video of Harris' appeal to Puerto Rican voters, along with a clip of Hinchcliffe's remarks in which he wrote “That's what they think about us” in Spanish and urged him to do so 18 million followers vote for Harris.

Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, who is popular among younger Hispanics in the US, also showed her support for the vice president by sharing one of her videos with his 45.6 million followers on Instagram.

But Hinchcliffe's comments also drew criticism from Republican and pro-Trump politicians.

“Disgusting over” @TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of trash.” This rhetoric does not reflect Republican values. Puerto Rico sent more than 48,000 soldiers to Vietnam, awarding over 345 Purple Hearts. This courage deserves respect. Educate yourself!” Florida House Representative Maria Salazar wrote on X.

Trump campaign spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez sought to distance the former president from the controversy, saying in a statement: “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

The backlash comes as Puerto Rican voters have become a key voting bloc in swing states like Pennsylvania, home to 450,000 people. Both campaigns are seeking votes as the margin of victory in the state remains slim in what is expected to be a close contest in a must-win state.

jcg/wd (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)