Former GOP strategist: 'Garbage' remark from MSG rally could cost Trump election

Former Republican strategist Mark McKinnon said Monday he thinks the comedian who made the controversial joke calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” last week could cost former President Trump the election.

McKinnon, who served as an adviser to former President George W. Bush and to former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), said he spent time this weekend at a rally hosted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in Pennsylvania and tried to gauge voters’ responses to the controversial joke.

“Every Puerto Rican in Pennsylvania has heard about the garbage comment. They all know about it," McKinnon said.

“They’re all pissed about it,” he added in an interview on “CNN This Morning” with Kasie Hunt. “There’s this real pride thing in Puerto Rico, and there’s like nothing more that Trump could have done to offend Puerto Ricans than to describe their” home “as garbage."

At a Madison Square Garden rally last weekend, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who goes by Kill Tony, delivered a set ahead of the former president’s speech. He said offensive things about multiple groups, but it's his material about Hispanics that garnered the most attention.

At one point, Hinchcliffe said Latinos “love making babies.”

“They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country,” he said.

“There’s a lot going on. Like, I don’t know if you know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” Hinchcliffe said, eliciting mixed reactions from the crowd.

McKinnon said he thinks the "garbage" comment is energizing voters who otherwise would not have turned out to cast ballots.

Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement that Hinchcliffe’s “joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

The remarks, particularly about Puerto Rico, were swiftly condemned by Democrats, as well as by some Republicans.

Political observers have noted the potential damage that such comments could have on the race, particularly in battleground Pennsylvania, which remains one of the closest states up for grabs in the race and also has a significant Puerto Rican population.

“I’ll tell you that ... we talked to a Trump voter, a previous Trump voter, who is now voting for Harris, in addition to all the other voters that were there who were Harris voters,” McKinnon said. “They’re just on fire.”