Comedian Defends ‘Racist’ Joke He Made During Trump’s MSG Rally
A performance by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at President Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden (MSG) has drawn substantial backlash after he made remarks criticized as racially offensive toward latino and black attendees.
The rally, which took place at the iconic New York City venue on Sunday, became the center of controversy following Hinchcliffe’s statements. Some of which specifically targeted Puerto Rico.
“There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” the comedian said during one point.
Hinchcliffe quickly defended himself against all claims of racism on X.
“These people have no sense of humor,” he said in response to a Kamala HQ post. “… I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian…”
Hinchcliffe, recognized for his often contentious “roast” style, delivered a set that left portions of the audience shocked and led to criticism from several prominent political figures.
The controversy began as Hinchcliffe opened with a callout to latino attendees, saying, “Where are my proud Latinos at tonight?” and proceeded to comment on issues surrounding immigration, referencing the Texas-Mexico border.
“You guys see what I mean? It’s wide open; there’s so many of them,” he stated.
Newsweek claimed that the routine took a divisive turn when Hinchcliffe referenced Puerto Rico in a comparison to ocean waste. However, others seemingly believe the joke was a massive hit.
The comments were met with swift rebukes from Democratic officials, including New York Rep. Ritchie Torres.
Torres voiced his condemnation on X, saying, “Tony Hinchcliffe, who is one of the speakers at Donald Trump’s rally at MSG, felt the need to hurl a racist insult at the people of Puerto Rico.”
“As a Puerto Rican, I am tempted to call Hinchcliffe racist garbage, but doing so would be an insult to garbage.”
Torres urged Latino voters to remember Hinchcliffe’s words when heading to the polls, implying that Trump’s event provided a platform for what he described as racial insults.
As the performance continued, Hinchcliffe shifted focus to other aspects of latino culture, making a comment about latino families that some audience members and political leaders found offensive, according to Newsweek.
He remarked that latinos “love making babies” before following with another joke that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign later labeled a “vile racist tirade against latinos.”
Newsweek argued that Hinchcliffe’s routine continued to receive reactions of surprise and shock from the audience, including several audible gasps when he shifted to address a black attendee in the audience, saying, “We’ll be carving watermelons together at Halloween.”
This remark led to more pronounced silence from the crowd and prompted Hinchcliffe to comment on what he called the “groany little morning crowd.”
The backlash from political leaders was swift and vocal.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) urged Puerto Ricans across the country to view the recording of the performance.
“When you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico ‘floating garbage,’ know that that’s what they think about you,” she commented, advising Puerto Rican voters to consider this when casting ballots.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, responded with his own criticism on social media, referring to Hinchcliffe as a “jackwad.”
Hinchcliffe also directed jokes at high-profile Democratic supporters, likening their support of the party to “a P. Diddy party” while referencing celebrities like Taylor Swift, Eminem, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Beyoncé, aiming to highlight celebrity involvement in politics.
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