**Trump Faces Backlash Over Racist Joke at Madison Square Garden Rally**

Donald Trump finds himself embroiled in controversy following a racist remark made by a comedian at his Madison Square Garden rally last weekend. The joke, targeting Puerto Rico, has ignited a significant backlash within the Puerto Rican community and has been leveraged by Trump’s political opponents.

In the rally's initial moments, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage," a comment that quickly sparked outrage. High-profile Puerto Rican celebrities such as Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, and Ricky Martin publicly disavowed the comments. Rapper Nicky Jam even went as far as to withdraw his endorsement of Trump over the issue.

In an effort to control the damage, Trump appeared on "Fox & Friends" where he attempted to redirect the focus back to the rally's intended message, describing the controversy as a distraction. He criticized Democrats for heightening the issue, suggesting that they had exaggerated the significance of what he minimized as a minor joke by a largely unknown comedian.

"They made this - one little comedian telling a little joke, early in the show, when nobody had even started going in to the arena, practically - they've made this comedian, and they've made the whole weekend, and they took out this gorgeous, unbelievable, patriotic evening, and they sort of stained it a little bit," Trump asserted on the show.

Even though Trump admitted he had yet to hear Hinchcliffe's comment, he defended his administration's record on Puerto Rico, claiming unmatched support and aid to the territory, despite criticism over his handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. "Nobody has been better to Puerto Rico than me," Trump maintained.

Furthermore, Trump indicated that Hinchcliffe was merely a "filler" act and distanced himself from direct responsibility, attributing the comedian’s presence to others within his campaign team.

While Trump’s attempts to downplay the remarks persist, the backlash among Puerto Ricans—which represent a significant voting demographic in key swing states such as Florida and Pennsylvania—shows no signs of abating.