Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Uniondale, New York, on 18 September 2024. Photo: AFP
By Michael Williams, CNN
Former US President Donald Trump has sought to temper the uproar over his rally at Madison Square Garden - which included a string of racist and vulgar messages from its speakers, including about Puerto Rico - by telling a group in Pennsylvania that "we love" the island.
Trump was participating in what was billed as a roundtable discussion focused on seniors in Delaware County. Trump's rally generated controversy after one comedian described Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage."
The moderator of the Pennsylvania event introduced a retired medical worker he said was "born in Puerto Rico and came to the United States when she was 17." The crowd cheered at the mention of Puerto Rico.
The worker told Trump: "I want you to know that Puerto Rico stands behind you, and Puerto Rico loves you."
The former president responded "Well, we love it. I know it very well, and we helped you through a lot of bad storms - I'll tell you, we've had some really bad ones." He added: "I think no president's done more for Puerto Rico than I have."
- CNN