 "Meet Tony Hinchcliffe, the US comedian who called Puerto Rico floating island of garbage at Trump rally")
It may be the joke that costs Donald Trump this US presidential election.
On Sunday (October 27), Donald Trump held a massive rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City, days ahead of the November 5 presidential election. The rally, which featured 30 other guest speakers, has been panned for spewing hate, vitriol and being outright racist. Among them, comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe have particularly angered people across the US — even within the Republican party.
So much so that Trump’s campaign has now distanced itself from the comedian and his remarks, with Trump’s senior adviser Danielle Alvarez releasing a statement, saying, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
But what did Hinchcliffe say that was offensive? And more importantly, who is Tony Hinchcliffe?
Who is Tony Hinchcliffe?
Hinchcliffe, 40, was raised in Youngstown, Ohio and is a stand-up comedian who specialises in the roast style of comedy, where people take the podium to needle a celebrity with personal and, sometimes, tasteless jokes.
He told Variety earlier that comedy was his “only escape” from his childhood in a “rough, tough neighbourhood.” Explaining why he chose to be a comedian, he links it to his distant relationship with his father. “Anytime my father, who would visit sometimes, would come around, my goal was to make him laugh because I thought that would make him visit more,” said Hinchcliffe.
He later moved to Los Angeles and began writing for Comedy Central Roasts, including those of James Franco, Justin Bieber, Rob Lowe, and Bruce Willis.
In 2013, he launched his own podcast, Kill Tony that has now has almost two million subscribers on YouTube. He is often seen as a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience, the popular podcast on which Trump recently appeared.
He also had a Netflix special in 2016 — Tony Hinchcliffe: One Shot — which was filmed in one continuous take.
What did he say at the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden?
In short, he said a lot — offending people across the board.
He poked fun at the Latino community, claiming they “love making babies” and made a vulgar joke about those who immigrate into the country.
That’s not all. He made racist jokes about Blacks in the audience, prompting groans. He also called Palestinians rock-throwers and said that Jewish people are stingy with money.
He then referenced Puerto Rico, saying, “I don’t know if you guys 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.”
Moreover, he likened the Democratic Party to the now infamous parties held by rapper Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs. For those who don’t know, Combs has been indicted on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking with many of those allegations stemming from his “Freak Off” parties.
Hinchcliffe also referenced Donald Trump’s assassination attempt in Butler Pennsylvania. He joked saying, “Trump survived an assassination attempt and Biden got COVID. We vote next week. God voted three months ago.”
Incidentally, this isn’t the first time he’s made such offensive remarks. He has faced backlash in the past, especially in 2021 when he used a racial slur for fellow comedian Peng Dang. He was dropped by his talent agency, but he refused to apologise. “I knew that what I had done was not wrong. It wasn’t even the worst thing I did that week,” he told Variety earlier this year. “It was so dumbfounding to me because it was a joke, and my stance is that comedians should never apologise for a joke, should never stop working if everyone comes after them and should never slow down.”
How have people reacted to Hinchcliffe’s remarks?
Shortly after his speech at the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, Hinchcliffe was criticised for his tasteless jokes.
Celebrities such as Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and others quickly endorsed Kamala Harris on social media after Hinchcliffe’s remarks.
Republicans and Democrats also voiced their anger at Hinchcliffe for his jokes with Republican New York representative Anthony D’Esposito writing on X, “My mom was born and raised in Puerto Rico. It’s a beautiful island with a rich culture and an integral part of the USA. The only thing that’s ‘garbage’ was a bad comedy set. Stay on message.”
María Elvira Salazar, a Republican representative from Florida, wrote that she was “disgusted” by Hinchcliffe’s “racist comment” and that “this rhetoric does not reflect GOP values.”
Florida’s Republican Senator Rick Scott wrote, “The joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true.”
Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is of Puerto Rican descent, also slammed Trump and his team for Hinchcliffe’s jokes. She said, “When you have some a**hole calling Puerto Rico ‘floating garbage,’ know that that’s what they think about you. It’s what they think about anyone who makes less money than them.”
Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ vice presidential candidate, asked on X, “Who is that jackwad?”
What does Hinchcliffe say in his defence?
Despite the anger from many and even the Trump campaign distancing itself from the comedian, Hinchcliffe has remained unfazed.
Referring to Walz’s remarks on him, the 40-year-old comedian wrote on X, “These people have no sense of humour. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyse a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist.”
These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his “busy schedule” to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a… https://t.co/VFxHRcdv5k
— Tony Hinchcliffe (@TonyHinchcliffe) October 27, 2024
“I love Puerto Rico and vacation there,” he continued. “I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon.”
We don’t know if Hinchcliffe’s jokes at Madison Square Garden will hurt or help Trump. But the outcome may be known after November 5 when the US casts its final vote.
With inputs from agencies
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