Puerto Rico GOP Chair Ángel Cintrón says he is not going to vote for Donald Trump in Puerto Rico’s symbolic presidential ballot on Election Day except the previous president personally apologizes for a comic’s remarks at his Madison Sq. Backyard rally on Sunday.
Talking on “Jugando Pelota Dura,” a neighborhood political debate present, Cintrón repudiated comic Tony Hinchcliffe and initially downplayed the territorial Republican Occasion’s affiliation with the nationwide marketing campaign.
“At this moment we have no effects, no ties, because we don’t vote in November for [Trump],” stated Cintrón, referring to the truth that Puerto Ricans, although U.S. residents, can solely vote for president if they’re residents of the District of Columbia or one of many 50 states.
“There’s a ballot,” Dennise Pérez, a member of the panel, interjected.
Puerto Rico is together with a controversial “presidential preference ballot” in its electoral bundle for Election Day, during which native residents will select amongst Trump, Vice President Harris or write-in candidates in a nonbinding presidential ballot.
Opponents of the poll measure say its value outweighs any advantages, anticipating the outcomes of the casual ballot will largely be ignored on the mainland.
Supporters say it’s a democratic train that may assist the reason for statehood for the U.S. territory by exhibiting what number of Puerto Ricans assist the Republican Occasion, quashing the notion that Puerto Rico would invariably select two Democratic senators.
Hinchcliffe’s phrases equating Puerto Rico to an oceanic rubbish patch — since repudiated by the Trump marketing campaign by a spokeswoman — may damage that effort by pushing Republicans akin to Cintrón to withhold their vote from Trump.
“If Donald Trump does not apologize to Puerto Rico, I definitely won’t vote for him,” Cintrón stated.
Trump is predicted to deal with the problem in a press convention from Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday.
