If Kamala Harris wins the 2024 presidential election, historians may look back with difficulty realizing that the entire matter may have come down to one state particularly susceptible to one joke over one ethnic base and its one island. The next American president may be in office in response to garbage. But what history and voters may forget is that Donald Trump didn’t call anyone garbage, didn’t utter the words Puerto Rico, didn’t even know of the slander when it was used. No, history will have to remember that Trump failed at something even easier – he did not immediately and individually push back hard on comedian Tony Hinchcliffe – who may have cast the definitive vote for president, electing the other candidate by isolating one of the largest Pennsylvanian voting blocks and slamming them.
It was Tony Hinchcliff of the “Kill Tony” podcast that uttered the joke that may turn history by seating the first American woman president. Hinchcliffe may not like the ultimate response – indeed, he may spend the rest of his life scorned by the very people who attended the Madison Square Garden. If Donald Trump loses, it will be because of Hinchcliffe and Madison Square Garden. Trump bears the blame for even having the “MAGA on steroids” rally (As called by Megan McCain) instead of something moderate. And Trump bears the blame for failing to reject Hinchcliffe by saying, “No, I didn’t like the joke. It’s not me. It was a bad night because I wasn’t aware of… ” Something to that effect. He didn’t do it and the aftermath is still percolating, especially in Pennsylvania.
CNNÂ reporter Mark McKinnon is in Pennsylvania – the state that will seemingly play “Florida” in this particular election – the one state whose results determine the president and a state with a lot of Puerto Ricans, 500,000 according to one count. They are rightly furious and it matters. From Mediaite’s transcript:
McKinnon: So I think you had some really unique insights last week when we were talking about the garbage thing and Puerto Rico. And it really got my attention. First of all, everyb– all, every Puerto Rican in Pennsylvania has heard about the garbage comment. They all know about it.
This is a critical observation. Those of us who closely follow political news fall into the trap of thinking that most people know what we do, the current facts, trends, latest news, etc. It is rarely so. Other people have other passions, sports, music, all of it. But everyone heard the garbage comment. The implication is that no one heard Trump distance himself from it, leaving many to believe Trump actually said it or at least condoned it. McKinnon went on:
Two. They’re all pissed about it! I mean, again, you were right. I mean, 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 country as garbage.
So they’ve taken it personally. That makes perfect sense. Puerto Ricans might rightly have a real chip on their shoulder. They are as American as you and me but do not get to vote for the president on an island that is not a state, one that doesn’t have senators, and is treated like sh*t when it comes time to spend federal dollars. No wonder they are so up in arms over the “garbage” comment. McKinnon wasn’t done:
And three, I’ll tell you that there, 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 are Harris voters, they’re just on fire!
We should never pay too much attention to one report and really shouldn’t pay much attention to the story about one voter. Just because this voter turned his or her vote doesn’t mean much. The anger does mean something because it can motivate people who might not have gone to the polls otherwise.
And then, herewith – the sound of glass shattering in what might be “the” definitive element of the 2024 presidential election:
The other thing that I didn’t realize that that really surprised me. 7% of voters [in pennsylvania] are Puerto Rican. I mean, in a race that could be decided by a margin of 1 or 2%, if you have 7% of a population who are all on fire because of this issue. Again, that could that could change the outcome of this election just among Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania, which I think is incredible!
We knew there were up to 500K Puerto Ricans in Penn, and we knew that the last election had Biden winning by 80,000 total votes. We knew this was a big deal. But putting it this clearly, that 7% of Pennsylvania voters have strong Puerto Rican ties and it is simply stunning. It shatters the glass.
The entire election may come down to Pennsylvania – indeed, more likely than not. The last Pennsylvania election came down to less than 1% with Joe Biden winning by only 80,000 votes. Every tenth of a percentage of Pennsylvanian votes are absolutely critical. And now we learn that 7% of Pennsylvania voters are of Puerto Rican heritage. Tony Hinchcliffe just called the entire island floating garbage in Trump’s wrap-up rally in MSG. And then, to put the cherry on top of a possible loss, Donald Trump didn’t do the obvious, the thing that had no downside whatsoever but could have prevented the worst losses – he never apologized or acknowledged the pain… Only “Never heard of him, he’s a comedian, it’s a joke… ”
Never said “I heard it, I’m furious, it’s not what I believe, I love Puerto Rico, so wonderful… ” He might lose it all because he just couldn’t do it, to stubborn, too proud.
History will have to accurately recount that Trump never called Puerto Rico garbage. He just failed to toss Tony Hincliffe in the can. Pennsylvania might dump both of them. Amazing, seven percent! Talk about targeted self-infliction… Pollsters couldn’t have found a more direct means to launch a more sweeping negative at the single most critical point. History will have to keep it all straight. Trump may end up blaming Puerto Rico. But he won’t do so as president.
God Bless:Â I can be reached at [email protected] and @JasonMiciak
If trump loses PA, does he even have a hope in hell of winning? I figured if he loses PA he pretty much has to win every other swing state and I find that to be highly unlikely without cheating.
You don’t think he’s planning to cheat, and cheat, and cheat?
The very BEST numbskull move of the week for them was to go after President Biden about his “garbage” remark. Of course, what they said he’d said was NOT real, BUT it raised the question in the minds of those who HADN’T even heard the podcaster’s original MSG remarks. “Gee, what’s all this talk about garbage about anyway?” Talk about reinforcing something so negative about them, by them. Everything they touch dies. And they can’t help from touching themselves, just ask Arnold! 🙂
Trump didn’t have to call them garbage in so many words while he was president.. Heheld back disaster aid, cut their Medicaid funding, mused about selling the island, and then threw paper towels at them.