Harris’ betrayal of Hispanics

OPINION:

Vice President Kamala Harris and her supporters have crossed a line by using the inappropriate jokes of a lowlife comedian — who appears to be nothing more than a Democratic plant — to mock not just Puerto Ricans but Hispanics and hardworking Americans everywhere.

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s set at former President Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, including the crude and disrespectful jokes about a wide array of people — and calling Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage” — fell flat.

This is an orchestrated October surprise, a desperate attempt to distract voters from the Biden-Harris administration’s catastrophic failures by pushing offensive jokes and sowing division. This isn’t the time for insulting attempts at humor. They do not reflect the heart, soul or mind of Mr. Trump when it comes to his respect for Puerto Ricans.

This moment calls for true leadership and respect — neither of which Ms. Harris has shown as vice president. The Biden-Harris administration has insulted the Hispanic community in countless ways, but let’s start with the worst: enabling human trafficking and turning a blind eye to modern-day slavery.

Hispanics make up most victims of this barbaric trade. Of those trafficked, 70% are women and 25% are children. Through reckless immigration policies, the administration and Ms. Harris — its border czar — have become the middlemen in trafficking operations, delivering thousands of women and children into lives of horror.

This is not just incompetence; it’s complicity. While Ms. Harris and her supporters virtue signal about human rights, their open-border policies have created a marketplace where smugglers profit and lives are destroyed.

The betrayal doesn’t stop there.

Hispanic Americans already battling high inflation find themselves burdened with soaring costs that have decimated the middle class. While the Biden-Harris administration prioritizes illegals with hotel stays and welfare benefits, legal Hispanic citizens who have contributed all their lives get crumbs.

Hispanic Americans earn Social Security checks averaging $1,200 after decades of work, but newly arrived illegal immigrants receive over $3,800 in benefits immediately — without contributing a single hour to this nation. Ms. Harris ensures these handouts while many older Americans, including Hispanics, worry if their Social Security checks will even come. Homeless veterans and families sleep in freezing streets, while illegal immigrants enjoy government-funded housing.

As a Puerto Rican, I am outraged not just by this administration’s contempt for our community but by its tolerance for insults against us. Four of my six children were born in Puerto Rico — a place I love deeply — and it is sickening to see anyone belittle our beautiful island.

When Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for a boycott of Goya Foods, targeting Puerto Rican workers and trying to destroy their livelihoods, Mr. Trump stepped up. He didn’t just defend us — he launched a “buy-cott” that saved jobs and showed his unwavering support for Puerto Rico. Gracias, Mr. Trump!

Contrast that with the Biden-Harris administration’s neglect. After hurricanes Maria and Irma ravaged Puerto Rico, Mr. Trump provided billions in federal aid, approving $9.6 billion to rebuild the power grid and billions more for water and education infrastructure. Yet under President Biden and Ms. Harris, that money has been either withheld or mismanaged. Today, Puerto Ricans still suffer daily blackouts, and basic services remain broken.

The Biden-Harris administration’s alleged commitment to Puerto Rico has been all talk and no action. The White House said it would unlock Mr. Trump’s funding. Still, the grid remains unstable, schools are in disrepair, opportunities for economic recovery are nonexistent and the Puerto Rican people are being left behind. This failure is a slap in the face to Puerto Ricans, both on the island and throughout the diaspora.

Puerto Ricans and Hispanics across the U.S. deserve better. This administration has disrespected us, betrayed us and abandoned us. The only leader who stood by us when it mattered was Mr. Trump. It’s time for Hispanic voters to send a message: We will not be taken for granted. We will not be disrespected. And we will not be used as political pawns.

This isn’t just about Puerto Rico or any one group — it’s about holding Ms. Harris and radical liberals accountable for failing Americans. They’ve prioritized illegal immigrants, ignored the suffering of U.S. citizens and made it clear that they don’t respect us. Enough is enough. We need leaders who care about the people who built this country, not those looking for cheap political stunts.

• Bob Unanue is president and CEO of Goya Foods and Goya Cares. He served as executive producer of the movie “Sound of Freedom.”