Jennifer Lopez has responded to racist comments about her heritage made at a rally for Donald Trump in Madison Square Garden last week.
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe sparked controversy when he called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage”, prompting a fallout in which Joe Biden is alleged to have called Trump’s supporters “garbage” in return.
Biden has denied the claims but Trump took the spat further by taking part in a photo-op in which he dressed up in a high-visibility jacket and drove around in a garbage truck.
The “On The Floor” singer, who is also Puerto Rican, was visibly moved as she talked about her experience as a Latin-American woman living in the US, ahead of the election on 5 November.
At a Las Vegas rally in support of Democrat candidate Kamala Harris, Lopez delivered a brutal takedown of Trump and the Republican campaign in a lengthy 15-minute address, calling him “the biggest adversary I think America has internally ever had”.
She said the businessman and Home Alone 2 star “has consistently worked to divide us,” as she defended the Latin-American community.
“At Madison Square Garden, he reminded us who he really is and how he really feels,” she said. “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.”
She continued, “I am Puerto Rican, and yes, I was born here, and we are Americans. 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, and in this case, the good girl wins.”
Becoming visibly emotional she added “We should be emotional. We should be upset. We should be scared and outraged. We should – our pain matters. We matter. You matter. Your voice and your vote matters.”
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Lopez, who is also a successful actor, then shed light on the challenges of being cast in roles as a “maid or the loud mouth Latina” when she started out in TV and film.
“But I knew I have 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. And elections are about choosing leaders who support that, not one who stands in the way.”
Trump has claimed that he does not know Tony Hinchliffe and that he did not hear the comments, however he stopped short of denouncing them.
“I’m a lover. I am not a fighter. I am not here to trash anyone or bring them down,” Lopez continued.
“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’ entire career, she has proven to us who she is.”