Milwaukee's Puerto Rican community stung by racist comments at Trump rally, vow to make voices heard at the polls

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee voters of Puerto Rican descent are vowing to make their voices heard at the polls as the backlash over racist comments continues.

The Trump campaign has distanced itself from the comedian's remarks, but Latino voters say it's a reminder of how the former president treated their communities.

One Puerto Rican voter said a sleeping giant has been awoken.

Tens of thousands of Puerto Rican people live in Wisconsin, and even more live in some of the other equally critical swing states.

Voters say this coalition wants to be heard and impact the outcome of the race.

Cindy Rosado is one such Puerto Rican voter in Milwaukee. She told us of the comments, "I felt it was very hurtful because I don't feel we're trash."

Rosado is an American. She lives in Milwaukee, works at a restaurant, and pays taxes.

She said, "We have a lot of successful businesses. They are Puerto Rican-owned. Hard working people."

And Cindy Rosado also votes, like many of the 65,000 Puerto Rican people living in a state that was decided by about 20,000 votes four years ago.

Alderman Jose Perez told us, "I have community members who said that they were basically staying out of this election, not endorsing, not promoting. They've changed their mind since the comments."

Perez's mother lives in Puerto Rico; he visits often.

He said Puerto Ricans are still wounded from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, when then-President Trump blocked $20 billion of congressionally approved aid to the island.

Perez said, "We still have problems today with the electrical grid."

The comments could have an election-altering impact beyond Wisconsin: nearly 1 million people of Puerto Rican descent live in the seven key swing states.

In six of those states -including Wisconsin- the number of Puerto Rican residents is greater than the deciding margin of voters in 2020.

In Reading, Pennsylvania, Michael Toledo, of El Centro Hispano, said, "I believe a sleeping giant has been awoken."

And in Florida, Jorge Figueroa, of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, said, "This was a slap, slap in the face."

This election cycle, Republicans -and the Trump campaign- are trying to make gains with Hispanic voters.

"But I think all that has gone out the window now," said Darryl Morin, the national president of Forward Latino.

Morin told us the comments -and the Trump campaign's response- have been unifying in a way the GOP may not have anticipated.

He said, "This has gone far beyond just the Puerto Rican community. The whole Latino community is incensed by what was said the other night."

Morin said some early voters told him they wish they could have changed their vote after hearing the comments.

Others, like Cindy Rosado, will take that information to the polls.

Rosado said, "After this incident, they're going to go vote more. And I'm sorry, but we're not going to go vote for him."