Comedian’s “floating island of garbage” remark about Puerto Rico at Trump rally draws widespread criticism

During a Donald Trump rally, a comedian referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” which ignited strong reactions from both Republican and Democratic parties, along with allegations of racism. Tony Hinchcliffe, the comedian in question, was one of the individuals who spoke at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday. He also delivered several jokes that relied on racist stereotypes. An adviser to Mr. Trump disassociated the former president from the joke concerning Puerto Rico, a comment that was also condemned by Mr. Trump’s Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris. Ms. Harris was additionally the subject of remarks made by another warm-up speaker for Mr. Trump, which similarly generated controversy. This controversy emerged concurrently with the endorsement of Ms. Harris for president by Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, recognized as one of the world’s leading Latin celebrities. Mr. Hinchcliffe, recognized for his comedy podcast Kill Tony, stated in his joke: “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 comment seemingly received a varied response. Among those who criticized the joke were two Republicans from Florida, a state with a significant Puerto Rican population. US congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar expressed that she was “disgusted” by the “racist comment.” On X, she stated that it did not “reflect the GOP values,” referencing the Republican Party, and highlighted that thousands of Puerto Ricans have served in the military. US Senator Rick Scott commented: “The joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true.” He further remarked that “Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans.” Puerto Rico is an island territory of the United States located in the Caribbean. While its residents cannot vote in US presidential elections, a substantial diaspora across the US possesses voting eligibility. Mr. Hinchcliffe additionally implied that Latinos “loved making babies.” He utilized racist stereotypes concerning black people and watermelons, which elicited groans from the audience. Furthermore, he labeled Palestinians as rock-throwers and, in the same statement, suggested Jews would not spend money, thereby invoking an antisemitic trope. As reported by CBS, the BBC’s US partner, a source knowledgeable about the event confirmed that the Trump campaign had reviewed Mr. Hinchcliffe’s planned jokes. However, the remarks regarding Puerto Rico, Latinos, and black people were improvised. The campaign also indicated that it removed two profane jokes. Mr. Trump has not commented on the controversy. He has received requests for an apology from various individuals, including the archbishop of Puerto Rico and the leader of the island’s Republican Party. Following the negative reaction, Mr. Hinchcliffe defended his comedic content. He posted on X, stating, “These people have no sense of humour,” in reply to criticism from Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz. The comedian further stated: “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone… watch the whole set.” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez retorted: “You don’t ‘love Puerto Rico’. You like drinking piña coladas. There’s a difference.” She had previously described Mr. Hinchcliffe’s comments as “super upsetting,” mentioning her family’s Puerto Rican heritage. Other speakers during the event also generated controversy with their statements. David Rem, a childhood friend of Mr. Trump, referred to Ms. Harris as “the devil” and “the antichrist.” Additionally, Mr. Trump’s former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, falsely asserted that the Democratic candidate was “on the side of the terrorists” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While significant attention was directed toward the remarks made by his guest speakers, Mr. Trump utilized the event to unveil a proposal for tax credits for individuals caring for a parent or a loved one. He stated, “It’s about time that they were recognised.” He also reaffirmed his intentions for a mass deportation of undocumented migrants, expressing his desire to “rescue” areas that had been “invaded and conquered” by “vicious and bloodthirsty criminals.” Earlier on Sunday, Ms. Harris introduced policies designed to assist residents of Puerto Rico, securing backing from Jennifer Lopez, whose parents are Puerto Rican, and from Bad Bunny. Many other prominent celebrities have already endorsed her. Bad Bunny shared several videos featuring Ms. Harris discussing the island, her proposals to aid its residents, and her criticisms of Mr. Trump’s management of Hurricane Maria as president, when the devastating storm caused nearly 3,000 deaths there in 2017. A source associated with Bad Bunny confirmed to CBS that this action constituted an endorsement of Ms. Harris, departing from his established practice of refraining from involvement in national politics. Over the past seven years, an emigration from Puerto Rico has occurred, with its residents relocating to the mainland US, including Florida and swing states like North Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Puerto Ricans are now reportedly the second largest Latino subgroup in these states. Bad Bunny’s statements seemed to be pre-arranged, and he did not comment on Mr. Hinchcliffe’s remarks. However, fellow Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin did, informing his fans “this is what they think of us” and encouraging them to vote for Ms. Harris. Approximately 36 million Hispanic voters are eligible to participate in this year’s election, according to the Pew Research Center. Historically, they have constituted a significant component of the Democratic coalition, but Republican support among this demographic has been increasing. Madison Square Garden, situated near the city center, is among the world’s most renowned venues, with a seating capacity of approximately 20,000. The venue is also located in Mr. Trump’s hometown, and the city where he received a historic criminal conviction earlier this year. New York, considered by some an unusual selection for the concluding week of campaigning, is a reliably Democratic state and is not expected to be a determining factor in the presidential election. Tony Hinchcliffe is a stand-up comedian residing in Austin, Texas, recognized for his podcast Kill Tony, which provides stand-up comedians a 60-second audition opportunity before Mr. Hinchcliffe and his co-host, Brian Redban. The podcast has 1.89 million subscribers on YouTube. The comedian grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and characterized himself as “the class clown.” His career in comedy began with work for Joe Rogan and writing jokes for celebrities featured on Comedy Central Roast. This incident is not the first occasion where some of his comments have garnered media attention due to their offensive character. In 2021, during a comedy performance, he employed a racial slur when referencing American-Chinese comedian Peng Deng and declined to issue an apology. “I knew that what I had done was not wrong,” Mr. Hinchcliffe stated when questioned by Variety regarding that controversy. He added, “It was so dumbfounding to me because it was a joke, and my stance is that comedians should never apologise for a joke.” Mr. Hinchcliffe was among the comedians featured on former NFL star Tom Brady’s Netflix comedy roast earlier this year. Additional reporting was provided by James FitzGerald and Ana Faguy. North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher analyzes the presidential race in his weekly US Election Unspun newsletter. Readers in the US can subscribe here, and those in the UK can subscribe here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.