Biden's big play for Puerto Rican voters: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill.

In today's edition, senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez reports on the efforts from Joe Biden's campaign and White House to win over voters from Puerto Rico. Plus, "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker has an exclusive interview with former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

Why Biden is betting big on voters from Puerto Rico

By Gabe Gutierrez

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Ricans on the island can’t vote for president this November. But those who are from the U.S. territory and now live on the mainland are becoming a major priority for Joe Biden’s campaign.

Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday visited Puerto Rico for the first time since taking office, touting the Biden administration’s support for the island as it continues to rebuild following several hurricanes.

The trip comes as Biden’s campaign has been investing more in Latino outreach much sooner this election cycle — and it’s not just focusing on the usual wide-reaching outlets like Univision and Telemundo.

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The campaign is already airing ads on WAPA-TV, a major station in Puerto Rico, contrasting Biden’s record with Donald Trump’s on health care costs and reproductive rights, hoping the message will find its way back to the mainland. It is also running ads on local radio stations on the island and across the U.S. targeting Puerto Ricans and Latinos more broadly.

“People that are part of the diaspora receive their information from it,” said one campaign official familiar with the strategy.