Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, one of the openers for former President Donald Trump at his Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday, referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage”—a joke that drew immediate criticism from Democrats and two Florida Republicans, part of a series of crude remarks by speakers at the highly anticipated rally.
Tony Hinchcliffe speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump during … [+] a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Key Facts
Hinchcliffe—a roast comic who hosts a live podcast “Kill Tony”—opened Sunday’s rally as one of many speakers before Trump, and said: “There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
The remark was met with uncertainty by the crowd, leading Hinchcliffe to laugh and say, “okay, we’re getting there, again, normally I don’t follow the national anthem.”
The comment drew almost immediate criticism online, with Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., saying on X, formerly known as Twitter: “As a Puerto Rican, I am tempted to call Hinchcliffe racist garbage but doing so would be an insult to garbage.”
At another point in the speech, Hinchcliffe said Latino people “love making babies” before telling a raunchy joke, leading Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign to call it a “vile racist tirade against Latinos.”
Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, responded to the clip of Hinchcliffe’s joke and called Hinchcliffe a “jackwad.”
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
Contra
Hinchcliffe responded to the criticism on social media, saying, “these people have no sense of humor,” and adding: “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian.”
Chief Critic
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., said in a statement on X she was “disgusted” by Hinchcliffe’s “racist comment.” She continued: “This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Educate yourself!” Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who is running for reelection, said the joke “bombed for a reason,” tweeting: “It’s not funny and it’s not true.”
Surprising Fact
Separately on Sunday, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny indicated support for Harris, posting a series of videos to Instagram of Harris criticizing Trump’s response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
What Did The Other Trump Madison Square Garden Rally Speakers Say?
Some other speakers at Trump’s rally also made questionable comments. Trump’s childhood friend David Rem called Harris “the antichrist,” radio host Sid Rosenberg called Hillary Clinton “a sick son of a b***ch” and said “f***ing illegals … get whatever they want,” and businessman Grant Cardone painted Harris as a metaphorical prostitute by saying she and “her pimp handlers will destroy our country.” Former Fox host Tucker Carlson mocked Harris’ race, saying she could become “the first Samoan, Malaysian, low IQ former California prosecutor ever to be elected president” (Harris’ parents were from India and Jamaica).
What To Watch For
Who else speaks at the rally. It’s been reported by multiple outlets that billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk will be in attendance. Other speakers after Hinchcliffe included Trump’s running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance, former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Hulk Hogan and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Key Background
With just nine days until the election, Trump took his campaign to Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday. CNN reported the rally is also expected to be one of Trump’s biggest fundraisers to date, and Trump has long wanted to hold a rally at the historic venue. Though New York state and the city are historically Democratic strongholds, the former president—a New York native—has previously said he thinks he might win New York for the first time since Ronald Reagen in 1984, as polls show him trailing Harris by a significant margin. While Trump campaigns in New York, Harris is campaigning in Philadelphia and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is in Henderson, Nevada, near Las Vegas.
Tangent
Both parties view Latino voters as a crucial group this year, as several polls show Trump is on track to win a larger share of Latino people than he did in the 2016 or 2020 races—particularly men, younger voters and voters without college degrees. Harris is still leading with the group by a 56%-37% margin, according to an early October poll, compared to President Joe Biden’s 65%-32% edge in 2020 exit polls.
Further ReadingCNNTrump returns to ‘epicenter of everything’ for Madison Square Garden rally | CNN PoliticsNytimesTrump to Rally at Madison Square Garden: Election Live Updates