Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton said Vice President Kamala Harris has a new “chance” to win over voters in the swing state of Pennsylvania following racist comments during former President Donald Trump's rally in New York City.

Perhaps the biggest story from Trump's Madison Square Garden event were the polarizing statements from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who spoke before Trump and others close to his campaign took the stage Sunday night. Among the statements that sparked a firestorm was Hinchcliffe saying Puerto Rico was a “floating island of garbage.” Hinchcliffe also made vulgar comments about blacks and Hispanics.

Trump's team said the joke “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” Other Republicans have also denounced Hinchcliffe's comments.

However, no matter how much Trump distances himself from the statements, experts have pointed out that Hinchcliffe's jokes could hurt Trump in some key battleground states where Puerto Rican voters have the opportunity to overturn the results of some of Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris' closest confidants affect battles.

Singleton — who has worked on the presidential campaigns of Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Ben Carson — said during an appearance on CNN Monday afternoon that the jokes could be particularly damaging to Trump in Pennsylvania.

“I look at a state like Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state where we know there are more than 465,000 Puerto Rican voters,” Singleton said during a panel discussion The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.

“Well, I would argue that the Harris campaign has had difficulty gaining traction in Pennsylvania, which I think is a must-win state for both sides,” Singleton continued.

“They have now given the Harris campaign the opportunity to potentially target this demographic with ads in Spanish and English to put out their door knockers and focus on the heavily populated Puerto Rican communities to attract them,” he continued. “So if you assume a marginal voter turnout of 1 to 2 percent among Puerto Ricans alone, then mathematically that would be enough for the vice president to win this state.”

Newsweek Trump's campaign asked for comment via email on Monday.

Harris' campaign wasted no time Sunday in capitalizing on Hinchcliffe's comments, including by resharing his jokes about Puerto Rico on his social platforms. The vice president also released a video message Sunday attacking Trump's policies toward Puerto Rico and released a detailed plan for how she will boost the island's economy if elected in November.

Following Hinchcliffe's comments, several Puerto Rican celebrities have also spoken out in support of Harris. Bad Bunny, who has 45.6 million followers on Instagram, shared Harris' video message four times on his platform. Songwriter and actor Ricky Martin, who has over 18.6 million followers on Instagram, posted a clip of Hinchcliffe's jokes on his account and wrote in Spanish: “This is what they think about us. Vote for Kamala Harris.”

According to a map from UCLA's Social Sciences Computing Department, over 470,000 Puerto Ricans live in Pennsylvania, about 3.69 percent of the state's total population.

Mark Shanahan, associate professor of political engagement at Britain's University of Surrey, said Newsweek Earlier Monday, he said Hinchcliffe's comments “may be the campaign line that will do the most damage to Trump in the coming week.”

“If Hinchcliffe has caused enough offense to sway voters away from Trump, it could be a joke that ends his career and Trump’s hopes of returning to the White House,” Shanahan said.

According to opinion poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight, Trump is ahead in Pennsylvania by an average of 0.3 percent as of Monday evening, meaning the race is effectively tied. The New York Times' According to polling averages, Trump and Harris are also at 48 percent in Pennsylvania polls on Monday.