While former President Donald Trump championed community voting, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe crudely mocked Latinos — a key constituency for any winning 2024 campaign — during pre-programming for the former president’s rally at Madison Square Garden.
With nine days to go until the election, Trump gathered dozens of his most popular surrogates and allies to rally thousands of people in downtown Manhattan, a reliably deep blue area.
Hinchcliffe, who took first place among nearly 30 warm-up speakers, launched into a crude and disparaging series of jokes about the conflict in the Middle East, black voters and Latinos.
“These Latinos also love making babies. Just know that they do,” Hinchcliffe said, preparing for his joke: “There is no backing down. They don’t. They are coming in, just like they did to our country.”
Moments later, the comedian made a second attack on a key voting bloc within the community: Puerto Ricans.
“A lot is happening. I don’t know if you know this, but there is literally a floating trash island in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” he said to a lot of clapping and cheering.
In a statement, Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said: “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Hinchcliffe also told a joke about one of his black “buddies” and how they “cut watermelons” together.
Several of the opening speakers at the Madison Square Garden rally hurled vulgarities and derogatory comments about Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democratic politicians. Radio host Sid Rosenberg called Hillary Clinton “a sick son of a b…” and David Rem, a Trump supporter in New York City, said Harris was the “Antichrist.”
Battleground Pennsylvania, where poll margins show a razor-thin race between Trump and Harris, is home to the country’s third-largest Puerto Rican diaspora. Last month, the former president invited Puerto Rican artist Anuel AA to the stage at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to publicly express his support behind the Republican ticket.
During a livestream with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Sunday afternoon, Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, responded to the comedian’s comments.
‘Who is that bastard? Who is that guy?” Walz asked after a clip of Hinchcliffe’s joke played on their stream.
“People in Puerto Rico are citizens. They pay taxes and serve in the military at almost a higher rate than anyone else,” Walz added, knocking Trump for his response to Hurricane Maria in 2017 — including a now-famous video clip of the then-president carrying paper towel rolls to Puerto Ricans are looking for help.
“Obviously it upsets me immensely,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I want people to understand that if you have some asshole calling Puerto Rico’s floating trash, know that’s how they feel about you.”
Hinchcliffe later responded on social media, saying people like Walz and Ocasio-Cortez “have no sense of humor” and took his joke “out of context to make it seem racist.”
“I love Puerto Rico and my vacation there. I made fun of everyone… look at the whole set,” he added.
But several Republicans also condemned Hinchcliffe’s comments.
Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., later wrote on social media that she was “disgusted” by Hinchcliffe’s “racist comment.”
“This rhetoric does not reflect the values of the GOP. Puerto Rico sent more than 48,000 soldiers to Vietnam, with more than 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This courage deserves respect,” she wrote.
“This joke bombed for a reason,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., posted on is a beautiful place that everyone should visit! I will always do what I can to help every Puerto Rican in Florida or on the island.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., called Hinchcliffe’s comments “completely classless” and “in poor taste.” And Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., said he was “proud to be Puerto Rican,” adding, “The only thing ‘trash’ is a bad comedy set.”
Puerto Rico, home to more than 3 million U.S. citizens according to the 2020 census, experienced significant outward migration to the U.S. mainland after Hurricane Maria devastated the island territory in 2017.
Puerto Ricans living on the island are not eligible to vote in presidential elections (the Commonwealth does hold elections and award delegates to both Democratic and Republican primary candidates), despite being U.S. citizens.
But their relatives on the mainland can.
Harris, for her part, unveiled her plan for Puerto Rico while campaigning in Pennsylvania on Sunday, posting details on her social media accounts and adding a section to her campaign website. Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper and singer, shared Harris’ announcement with his more than 45 million Instagram followers.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
