ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester’s Puerto Rican community is speaking out after comments about Puerto Rico that a comedian made during a recent Trump rally.

At the rally on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe said: “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. Yeah. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

City Council President Miguel Melendez, who is Puerto Rican, spoke about how the Latino population is feeling. “I am Puerto Rican. My father was born on the island, so, you know, God rest his soul. He’s turning in his grave over statements like this,” Melendez said.

According to the US Census, about 20% of Rochester’s population identifies as Latino.

“Yeah, for me, this isn’t a partisan issue. This is very much a disrespect to our community issue,” Melendez said. “With 40,000 Latinos here in Rochester, 80,000 roughly in Monroe County, and even larger numbers in the Finger Lakes. To have that kind of rhetoric happen in our state and to have that conversation happening on a national stage now where Latinos are once again, villainized to me was troubling.”

The Trump campaign responded, saying: “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, says the country needs to move on from the joke.

“I haven’t seen the joke. You know, maybe it’s a stupid racist joke because you said maybe it’s not. I haven’t seen it. I’m not going to comment on the specifics of the joke but I think that we have to stop getting so offended at every little thing in the United States of America. I’m just, I’m so over it,” Vance said.

“This affects all Latinos. This was not a Puerto Rican issue. The rhetoric on a national scale is hurting people locally,” Melendez said. “And they were very angry people today. I’ve talked to many people on the phone and also on a Zoom call that we had and people are really frustrated with the national rhetoric that’s happening. And this is one week before an election.”

News10NBC also reached out to the Monroe County Republican Committee but was unable to get a response.

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