Republican and Democratic leaders and Puerto Rican celebrities reacted sharply to comments made by a comedian who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at a major Donald Trump event in New York.

Speaking before the Republican presidential candidate at a rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, comedian and podcast host Tony Hinchcliffe added that Latinos “love to make babies” and “don’t hold back.” They are busy giving birth to children and are against birth control.

“There’s literally an island of garbage floating in the middle of the ocean right now,” Hinchcliffe said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, Democrats, prominent Puerto Rican celebrities and some congressional Republicans condemned comments widely criticized as racist.

The Trump campaign itself said the comments did not reflect Trump’s views. Trump did not comment on Hinchcliffe’s performance, although he turned to racist and sexist rhetoric during the campaign.

At some recent rallies, he also warned of a “treacherous enemy from within” bent on undermining the nation. Harris criticized this rhetoric, arguing that Trump’s desire to root out his enemies poses a threat to democracy.

“Look, it was a comedian making a joke in poor taste,” campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday.

Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but they do not have the right to vote in Congress and there are no votes for president on the island.

‘It wasn’t funny’

Ed Rosa, 60, who lives in New York and whose parents were born in Puerto Rico, said he planned to vote for Trump but would not participate in the election after Hinchcliffe’s comments. He removed the Trump campaign signs he had placed in the windows and yard of his North Bronx home.

“I truly believe this is racist,” Rosa said. “And until yesterday I was a very strong supporter of Trump.”

Puerto Rican Americans are a key demographic group in some competitive states that will likely determine the winner of the Nov. 5 election, including Pennsylvania. Both candidates are battling for Latino votes, which have swung toward Republicans in recent years but still lean toward Democrats.

Matt Tuerk, the Democratic mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania, which is majority Latino and nearly a third Puerto Rican, said he was “disgusted” in an interview with Reuters.

“This was a wake-up call for people who thought things wouldn’t be that bad under Trump,” he said.

Trump will hold a rally in this city on Monday. Both Trump and Harris have focused much of their energy in the final weeks of the campaign on winning over voters in the state, which could help determine the next owner of the White House.

In a video posted on X on Sunday, Harris directly reacted to Hinchcliffe’s comments, saying, “Puerto Rico is home to some of the most talented, innovative and ambitious people in our nation.”

Actor and singer Jennifer Lopez, whose parents were born in Puerto Rico, shared Harris’ video on Instagram, as did Puerto Rican rapper, singer and producer Bad Bunny. It was his first visible gesture of support for the Democratic candidate.

Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor Ricky Martin shared the video of Hinchcliffe’s comments on Instagram and wrote in Spanish, “This is what they think of us.”

Hinchcliffe downplayed the offensive nature of his comments.

“These people have no sense of humor,” Hinchcliffe wrote to X in response to a critical video of Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Hinchcliffe also used racist tropes about Black Americans and Jews during his speech Sunday night. He said that he and a black audience member were “carving a watermelon together” while the Jews “had a hard time throwing away that piece of paper”; This is a clear reference to the stereotype that Jewish people are cheap.

Separately, Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller told the audience that “America is for America and Americans only”; This comment was criticized by Democrats for explicitly dismissing all immigrants coming into the country.

Among Trump allies offended by Hinchcliffe’s comments was Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, a state with a large number of Puerto Rican voters.

“It’s not funny and it’s not true,” he wrote on X on Sunday evening.

Republican U.S. Reps. Anthony D’Esposito, Maria Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez also quickly condemned the comments. D’Esposito, who is of partial Puerto Rican descent, represents a fiercely competitive Long Island district.

Some of Trump’s allies were less worried, though. The former president and his allies turned to personal insults and racist rhetoric in the final months of the campaign, but his position in the polls remained intact.

“Politically, it’s not a problem,” said David Tamasi, a Republican fundraiser. “An undecided voter is unlikely to be swayed by a line, no matter how political, made by an unknown comedian on a Sunday night.”