MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The Trump campaign is facing backlash after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made vulgar sexual comments about Latinos and other groups at a Trump campaign event held at Madison Square Garden Sunday. Here's one remark.
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TONY HINCHCLIFFE: There's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. Yeah. I think it's called Puerto Rico.
MARTIN: The Trump campaign has since said that the joke was in poor taste. On Sunday, Vice President Harris posted a YouTube video outlining her vision for the island.
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VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Puerto Ricans deserve better. As president, I will always fight for you and your families. And together, we can turn the page and chart a new and a joyful way forward.
MARTIN: That video has been shared by Puerto Rican music superstars Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, who together have more than 314 million followers on Instagram. Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans live in swing states, according to a study by UCLA. So the question is, what kind of impact could this be having among Puerto Ricans who will vote in next week's election? To talk about this, I'm joined now by New York Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez. She is a surrogate for Vice President Harris, and she's the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress. Congresswoman, thank you so much for joining us.
NYDIA VELAZQUEZ: Good morning. Thank you for having me, Michel.
MARTIN: So I mentioned that you have multiple identities. You're a surrogate for Vice President Harris. You're a congresswoman. You're the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress. Which hat are you wearing when you were talking about this?
VELAZQUEZ: Both.
MARTIN: So I take it that you've had a response from - I guess I want to hear what kind of response you're getting from constituents - like, your constituents - and are you getting response beyond your district?
VELAZQUEZ: Well, first, yes. Puerto Ricans are angry - full stop. And I have seen the anger firsthand in my district and across New York City, which has a large Puerto Rican population. This story, Michel, is dominating coverage in Puerto Rico and circulating heavily among the diaspora. But also, last night, I was at gala in Sunnyside, Queens, part of my district. I was approached by African Americans. I was approached by white Americans. Everyone knew about the comments that were made, which they categorize as racist, vile and reprehensible. And everybody in the United States and in Puerto Rico, and particularly battleground states - they know what's going on. So, you know, the Trump campaign is trying to distance itself from these comments, but we know better because there is a track record of indifference, disrespect from Donald Trump toward Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans.
MARTIN: When you say that, what are you thinking of?
VELAZQUEZ: Well, I think about the treatment that we got right after Hurricane Maria. During his time in office, he disrespected Puerto Ricans at every turn. He claimed Puerto Ricans want everything done for them, derided Puerto Rico as dirty and poor and suggested selling Puerto Rico or trading it for Greenland. Yes, when people say that this comes from the Donald Trump campaign, believe it because it does. It did.
MARTIN: Let me ask you this 'cause the vice-presidential nominee, J.D. Vance, the senator from Ohio, says he didn't hear the joke, but he also said that he thinks people are too sensitive, basically, and that people just overreact to situations. What would you say to that?
VELAZQUEZ: Well, I don't believe what he's saying - that he didn't hear the joke. And you are using Puerto Rico as a way to have fun - an island that is going through so much - you know, bankruptcy, an economic crisis, health care crisis, hurricanes, earthquake. Come on. We need someone who has some sense of humanity. You know, with Donald Trump, cruelty is the point.
MARTIN: You've been in Congress for a long time. You represent, you know, parts of Brooklyn and Queens. New York is not really considered a swing state. So what about places like Pennsylvania, which is a swing state, which also has a number of people who identify as Puerto Rican? I've been wondering if you're hearing from people there, and what do you - what are they saying?
VELAZQUEZ: Oh, they have been contacting my office, and we are well-organized. We set up a Boricuas for Kamala in PA long before this whole thing happened. So there is an infrastructure in place where people are communicating with each other. This weekend, we have buses going from New York with volunteers to PA, and those are Puerto Ricans, knocking on doors, talking to everyone, reminding them what an administration will look like if Donald Trump sets foot in the White House. So the anti-Puerto Rican comments at Trump's rally are a preview of how he will treat Puerto Ricans for the next four years if he returns to the White House.
MARTIN: Let me ask you this. There has been some data that suggests that some young men of color, particularly young Latino men and young African American men - some - have been moving in Trump's direction. Why do you think that is? - as briefly as you can.
VELAZQUEZ: Michel, I don't believe it, and the data after Election Day is going to show it. I don't believe it. And, look, when I encounter anyone - Latino men - that says that they're going to vote for Trump, and I ask them, why? Oh, because he's strong. I say, well, he's a small-minded guy who used to rip children away from their mother's arms and put them in cages. Is that the kind of person that you want at the helm of the White House?
MARTIN: Well, I understand that it says that you're arguing with them, but that doesn't indicate whether they actually agree with you at the end of it. So what makes you think that they do?
VELAZQUEZ: Well, when they listen to the kind of vitriol and cruelty coming out of the campaign, I truly believe that they will be walking away and supporting Kamala Harris. In fact, last night, there was an analysis that shows that Latinos and Black men are supporting Kamala Harris in big numbers. So I don't believe those numbers. I don't believe the polls that are saying that Black men and Latino men are supporting him.
MARTIN: That is Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez. She represents New York's 7th Congressional District, which includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens. She's also a Harris campaign surrogate. Thank you so much for joining us, Congresswoman.
VELAZQUEZ: Thank you, Michel, for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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