An opening comedian’s dig at Puerto Rico during former President Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday helped resurface some of his prior offensive posts about Black people.
Tony Hinchcliffe quipped: “There’s a lot going on. Like, 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.”
The joke seemed to flop, with even Hinchcliffe noting the crowd didn’t laugh.
The remark prompted an immediate wave of backlash online, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) posting: “I need every Boricua on here to take that rally clip and drop it in your family WhatsApps and group chats.”
In response to the offensive joke, Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny signaled his support for Vice President Kamala Harris, posting her newly unveiled Puerto Rico policy moments after Hinchcliffe cracked the joke. At the same time, Harris’ plan was also boosted by Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin.
“Bad Bunny, J. Lo and Ricky Martin have over 315 million followers on Instagram alone. This is the Puerto Rican version of the Avengers joining forces to support Kamala Harris,” joked one Harris staffer.
Amid the criticism, some of Hinchliffe’s old posts have resurfaced online.
The posts in question include a since-deleted tweet asking if anyone “wanna go halfsies on a slave” and saying Sept. 11 was “the first time black employees were rewarded for being late to work.”
It’s unclear when Hinchcliffe deleted the “slave” tweet. Other jokes reference Black History Month and unemployment.
One anti-Trump account that posted screenshots of the old posts, commented: “Trump campaign knew damn well he was going to say something similarly reprehensible.”
Another prominent anti-Trump account posted the slave tweet, writing: “I rarely swear on here but Tony Hinchcliffe, the guy who made all sorts of racist ‘jokes’ at Trump’s hate rally, is an epic piece of [expletive].”
Others have also referenced Hinchcliffe being dropped by his talent agency in 2021 after using a racial slur against fellow comic Peng Dang.
“This is not the first time Tony Hinchcliffe has hurled racist comments out in the open in the name of ‘comedy,’” one commenter said of the two incidents.
Since the backlash began, Republicans quickly distanced themselves from the joke.
Lawmakers from Florida—the state with the highest Puerto Rican population—were among the most vocal.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) blasted on X: “This joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans! I’ve been to the island many times. It’s a beautiful place. Everyone should visit! I will always do whatever I can to help any Puerto Rican in Florida or on the island.”
Likewise, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) stated she was “disgusted” by Hinchcliffe’s “racist comment.”
“This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values,” she continued. “Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Educate yourself!”
Even the Trump campaign responded to the criticism, saying in a statement that “this joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
As for Hinchliffe?
He’s doubling down.
“These people have no sense of humor,” he said in response to Ocasio-Cortez and vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) criticizing the quip.
“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,” he continued. “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon.”
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