Politics is usually a game of slow burns, but sometimes a single moment acts like a match in a hayride. When Zoraida Buxó endorsing Trump became the headline during a massive rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, it wasn't just another stump speech. It was a calculated, high-stakes response to a week of PR disasters.
If you weren't following the play-by-play in late October 2024, the atmosphere was incredibly tense. Just days before, a comedian at a Madison Square Garden event had called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage." People were furious. Not just "angry on Twitter" furious, but "families calling their relatives in swing states" furious.
Then came Allentown.
Allentown is basically the heart of the Puerto Rican community in Pennsylvania. It’s a city where over half the population is Hispanic. Trump needed a win there. He needed someone who carried weight in the Puerto Rican community to stand next to him and say, "It’s okay."
Enter Zoraida Buxó Santiago.
Who Is Zoraida Buxó and Why Does She Matter?
To get why this endorsement mattered, you have to understand who Buxó is. She isn't just a random politician. She’s one of Puerto Rico’s "shadow senators."
What’s a shadow senator? Basically, since Puerto Rico isn’t a state, they don’t have voting members in the U.S. Senate. Instead, they elect these "delegates" to go to D.C. and lobby for statehood. Buxó, a Republican with a law degree from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master’s from George Washington University, has spent years fighting for the island to become the 51st state.
She has real skin in the game. She served as the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation back in the 90s under Governor Pedro Rosselló. She knows the island’s mechanics inside and out.
When she stepped onto that stage in Allentown on October 29, 2024, she wasn’t just representing herself. She was speaking for a specific segment of the 5.8 million Puerto Ricans living stateside who feel left behind by the current administration.
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The Allentown Speech: No Holding Back
Buxó didn't mince words. She knew exactly what the elephant in the room was. While she didn't name the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe by name, she told the crowd that it’s "easy to get distracted or misled by propaganda, emotional manipulation, and distortion of the truth."
Kinda pointed, right?
She urged the crowd to "watch out and stay focused on what is truly important." For her, that meant the economy, border security, and—most importantly—the future status of Puerto Rico. She literally looked at the crowd and said, "We need this man back in the White House."
Her closing line was a punchy call to action in Spanish: "Dale a Trump la fuerza de tu voto"—Give Trump the force of your vote.
The Shockwaves: Beyond the Rally Floor
If you think this was just about one night in Pennsylvania, you're missing the bigger picture. The fallout from the "garbage" joke was real. The Archbishop of San Juan, Roberto González Nieves, had publicly demanded a personal apology from Trump. Even Jenniffer González-Colón, Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner and a fellow Republican, called the joke "despicable."
But Buxó took a different path.
She leaned into the "unfinished business" of Puerto Rico. She claimed that Trump was the only leader who could get the island to a "final resolution." Honestly, that’s a bold claim given the rocky history Trump has with the island—remember the paper towel tossing after Hurricane Maria?
Yet, Buxó’s endorsement served as a permission structure. It gave Puerto Rican voters who were already leaning Republican—perhaps because of religious values or economic frustrations—a reason to stay the course despite the insults coming from the campaign's periphery.
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Why It Actually Worked
You might wonder if one person can really move the needle. Well, look at the 2024 numbers.
- Osceola County, Florida: A massive Puerto Rican hub. It flipped Republican.
- Berks County, PA: Home to Reading. Trump took over 55% of the vote there.
- Nationwide: Trump pulled about 45-46% of the Hispanic vote, a record for a Republican.
Democrats thought the "garbage" joke would be the "October Surprise" that sank the Trump campaign. They were wrong. They focused on the insult; Buxó and the Trump campaign focused on the cost of living.
The Complexity of the "Shadow Senator" Role
We should probably talk about the "Shadow Senator" thing for a second. It’s a weird role. Buxó was elected in 2021 as part of the "Tennessee Plan" strategy. The goal is to act like you're already a state so Congress feels pressured to make it official.
Because she is a Republican, Buxó has always argued that statehood is a conservative issue. She believes Puerto Rico would actually be a swing state, not a blue stronghold. By endorsing Trump, she was trying to solidify that bond. She wanted to prove to the GOP that Puerto Ricans are "part of the soul of this country" and share "steadfast conservative values."
It’s a gamble. Many on the island see the GOP as an obstacle to statehood, fearing that Republicans won't want two more potentially Democratic senators. Buxó’s whole career is basically a rebuttal to that fear.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Moment
People love a simple narrative. "Trump insulted Puerto Rico, so Puerto Ricans hate him." Or, "Buxó endorsed him, so everything is fine."
Reality is way messier.
The endorsement didn't erase the hurt of the Madison Square Garden rally. But for many voters, the "garbage" comment was a distraction from the fact that their grocery bills had doubled. Buxó basically told them: "Don't let your feelings get in the way of your interests."
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It’s a cold way to look at it, but it’s how elections are won.
Key Takeaways from the Buxó Endorsement:
- Timing is everything: The endorsement happened exactly when the campaign was bleeding support among Latinos. It was a tourniquet.
- Representation matters: Having a high-ranking Puerto Rican official on stage in Allentown was more effective than any TV ad.
- The "Shadow" Influence: Even though Buxó doesn't have a vote in D.C., her influence among the 500,000 Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania was substantial.
What This Means for the Future
Now that the 2024 election is in the rearview, what does the Zoraida Buxó endorsing Trump moment tell us about 2026 and beyond?
First, the Hispanic vote is no longer a monolith. You can't just win them over with "identity politics." Buxó proved that specific, local leaders can bridge the gap even when the national rhetoric gets ugly.
Second, the push for Puerto Rican statehood is going to be a major Republican talking point. If the GOP can prove that Puerto Ricans will vote for them, the path to the 51st state becomes much easier for them to stomach.
If you're looking to understand how the political map is shifting, you need to keep your eye on people like Buxó. She represents a shift from "Democrat by default" to "Republican by choice" for many Hispanic professionals.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Monitor the Statehood Movement: Keep an eye on the Puerto Rico Status Act in Congress to see if Buxó's gamble on Trump pays off in legislative support.
- Follow Local PA Politics: Watch how the Hispanic voting blocs in Allentown and Reading behave in the 2026 midterms to see if the Republican shift holds.
- Review Economic Data: Look at how federal policy impacts Puerto Rico's power grid and infrastructure, as these were the "unfinished business" items Buxó referenced.
This wasn't just a speech. It was a realignment.