Comedian's disparaging Puerto Rico joke sparks backlash in battleground Pennsylvania
Tony Hinchcliffe's comments about Puerto Rico at Madison Square Garden is being felt in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state home to a significant number of Puerto Rican voters.
Michael Rivera, a Republican raised in Puerto Rico who serves on the Board of Commissioners in Berks County, condemned the joke in a statement to ABC News Monday night, calling it "not only appalling but deeply disrespectful."
"Such comments overlook the value of a people of rich cultural heritage and the significant contributions of Puerto Ricans to the United States," he added.
Rivera said he "appreciate(s) the Trump campaign's decision to distance themselves from (Hinchcliffe's) comments," but he told ABC News that a statement from Trump himself "would go a long way" toward appeasing Puerto Rican voters upset by the joke.
Rivera said he remained committed to voting for Trump, citing his record. However, he said some in his community are considering changing their vote after Hinchcliffe's comment.
-ABC News' Will McDuffie