Republican campaign tries to distance presidential hopeful from rally remarks amid backlash over comic’s comments

Donald Trump’s campaign has moved to distance the presidential hopeful from racist insults aimed at Puerto Ricans amid a backlash over remarks at a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden last night.

“I don’t know if you guys 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,” said Tony Hinchcliffe, a stand-up comic told the Republican event. His set also included lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people, all key constituencies in the election just nine days away.

His joke was immediately criticised by Kamala Harris’ campaign. Puerto Rican music superstar Bad Bunny backed Harris shortly after Hinchcliffe’s appearance.

The normally pugnacious Trump campaign took the rare step of distancing itself from Hinchcliffe. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.

Angel Cintron, the head of the GOP on the island, and US representative Maria Elvira Salazar, who represents parts of Miami and has participated in recent Trump events, were among Republicans to criticise Hinchcliffe’s comments.

Trump will join National Faith Advisory Board for a faith summit in Atlanta this afternoon and will attend a rally in the city later.

Harris and her vice-presidential pick, Tim Walz, to hold a joint campaign rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Monday.

Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen are holding a campaign rally for Harris in Philadelphia.