Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe is facing backlash following his performance at a Donald Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, where he made a joke regarding Puerto Rico that has offended several prominent individuals.
The polarizing comedian, recognized for his edgy humor, took the stage in New York City on Sunday prior to the former President’s appearance, delivering punchlines that targeted individuals of various races and backgrounds.
Although many of his jokes received applause or varied responses from the audience, one particular quip failed to land favorably – when Hinchcliffe quipped that there’s a trash island in the sea, and it’s referred to as Puerto Rico.
Take a look at the footage … the crowd appears bewildered, and even Hinchcliffe realizes he may have overstepped with the audience.
Gov. Walz and @AOC shared their thoughts on this moment: “When someone publicly degrades Puerto Rico by calling it ‘floating garbage,’ it reflects their views on people making less than them… I want every Puerto Rican in Philadelphia and Reading and… https://t.co/L5GdSvLJWT pic.twitter.com/y9DQTABM0v
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 27, 2024
@KamalaHQ
A plethora of public figures have already responded to the joke, including Kamala Harris‘ vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who were streaming on Twitch at that very moment.
Walz emphasized that Puerto Ricans are American citizens who pay taxes and serve in the armed forces, asserting that belittling them, as Hinchcliffe did, is simply unacceptable.
These individuals lack any humor. It’s surprising that a vice-presidential candidate would take time from his “busy schedule” to dissect a joke that was taken out of context to portray it as racist. I cherish Puerto Rico and often vacation there. I poke fun at everyone… you should watch the entire set. I’m a… https://t.co/VFxHRcdv5k
— Tony Hinchcliffe (@TonyHinchcliffe)October 27, 2024
@TonyHinchcliffe
Hinchcliffe swiftly reacted to Walz, asserting that he’s a comedian… and if they had absorbed the entire performance, they’d recognize he targeted a variety of individuals—not solely Puerto Ricans.
Ricky Martin comments, “This is their perspective of us” pic.twitter.com/YtOo7s4Cpv
— Thor Benson (@thor_benson) October 27, 2024
@thor_benson
Ricky Martin, Bad Bunny, Congressman Ritchie Torres, Puerto Rico Republican Party Chairman Ángel Cintrón, and many others have expressed their thoughts on the political climate following Hinchcliffe’s humor… and they clearly aren’t pleased with him.
5/5/24
Netflix
By the way… if the name Hinchcliffe rings a bell, you might recall him from the Roast of Tom Brady—where he launched several outrageous jabs aimed at Kim Kardashian.
It appears he’s ignited quite a stir with this performance… and we expect numerous celebrities will be voicing their opinions about him in the upcoming hours and days.