Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez has defended Puerto Ricans after a comedian at Donald Trump’s rally in New York disparaged the country as a “floating island of garbage”.
Lopez walked out at a rally supporting Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in Las Vegas to her track Let’s Get Loud, before she gave an emotional 13-minute speech on “the most important stage I’ve ever been on”.
The star made reference to the Madison Square Garden rally, where US comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made disparaging remarks about Puerto Rico and its people, which Lopez said reminds us who former president Mr Trump “really is and how he really feels”.
“It wasn’t just Puerto Ricans that were offended that day, it was every Latino in this country, it was humanity and anyone of decent character,” Lopez said.
“I’m a lover, you guys know that about me, I’m a lover, I am not a fighter. I am not here to trash anyone or bring them down.
“I know what that can feel like, and I wouldn’t do it to my worst enemy, or even when facing the biggest adversary I think America has internally ever had.
“But over Kamala Harris’s entire career, she has proven to us who she is. She has shown up for us every day, for the people, and it’s time for us to show up for her.”
Lopez said Ms Harris’s policies are about all of the American people, “no matter what we look like, who we love, who we worship or where we’re from”, while her opponent “has consistently worked to divide us”.
The 55-year-old described herself as an American woman whose parents were “proud” to be from Puerto Rico.
“I am Puerto Rican, and yes, I was born here – and we are Americans,” Lopez said.
“I am a mother, I am a sister, I am an actor and an entertainer, and I like Hollywood endings.
“I like when the good guy or, in this case, the good girl, wins.
“And with an understanding of our past and a faith in our future, I will be casting my ballot for Kamala Harris for president of the United States proudly.”
Lopez joked “you can’t even spell American without Rican”, before adding: “This is our country too.”
President Joe Biden had earlier undermined the administration’s response to the controversy by appearing to call Trump’s supporters “garbage.”
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” he said on a call on Tuesday. ‘His demonisation of Latinos is unconscionable and it is un-American.”
White House aides insisted he was criticising Hinchcliffe alone, not the millions of Americans voting for Trump,.
But the former president tried to turn the tables on the Democrats by climbing into a Make America Great Again-themed garbage truck while campaigning in Wisconsin to draw attention to Biden’s gaffe.
During her speech, Lopez told the audience there is “so much at stake” and that the young generation deserves a president who cares about “not just some Americans, but all Americans”.
“When I started in TV and film, I could get roles playing the maid or the loud-mouthed Latina, but I knew I had more to offer,” she said.
“And I think there are a lot of people in this country who feel the same way, who know that they are capable of more, and we all just want a chance to prove it.
“Elections are about choosing leaders who support that, not one who stands in the way.”
Lopez said Ms Harris will fight for the freedom of immigrants to chase the American Dream, and the freedom of women “to choose what we do with our bodies”.
“I believe that women have the power to make the difference in this election, I believe in the power of Latinos, I believe in the power of our community,” she concluded.
Ms Harris has harnessed star power as she focuses on battleground states in her bid for the White House with Beyonce, Eminem and Bruce Springsteen among those to have appeared at her campaign events.
Madonna endorsed the vice president in the US election as Americans cast their vote at the ballot boxes ahead of the November 5 poll.
The US star, regarded as the Queen of Pop, revealed she returned home to the US following a trip to Paris to vote for the Democratic presidential nominee.
Alongside a selection of photos of her time in the French capital, the Material Girl singer wrote: “Paris was so fun!
“It was hard to leave, but I had to come home to V.O.T.E. @kamalaharris for President!!!!”
Pop superstar Taylor Swift added her support last month, describing the current vice president as a “steady-handed, gifted leader”.
Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger said he will back Ms Harris in the election despite saying: “I don’t like either party right now.”
The former Republican governor of California said his party’s candidate, former US president Donald Trump, would “divide”, “insult” and “find new ways to be more un-American than he already has been”.
Friends star Jennifer Aniston confirmed she had voted for Ms Harris to “end this era of fear, chaos and the attacks on our democracy” while encouraging fans that “your vote matters”.
