Donald Trump‘s highly-anticipated rally at New York City’s Madison Square Garden opened with a spew of racial jokes when comedian Tony Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” among a number of other crude remarks.
The “jokes” angered many—including a number of Republicans, who immediately shared their dismay at the fact Trump included the comedian in his rally lineup.
Chairman of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico Ángel Cintrón called the comments “unfortunate, ignorant and entirely reprehensible” in a statement posted to social media.
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“A poor attempt at comedy, which, just as it was firmly rejected by the audience at the event, deserves to be repudiated by all,” the statement said.
María Elvira Salazar, a Republican representative from Florida, posted: “This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect.”
Rick Scott, a senator from Florida, also posted about the joke that fell flat.
“This joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true,” Scott said. “Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans!”
Another Floridian, Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez, wrote, “This is not a joke. It’s completely classless & in poor taste.”
He added Hinchcliffe “clearly isn’t funny & definitely doesn’t reflect my values or those of the Republican Party.”
Republican New York Rep. Anthony D’Esposito added to the furore, saying in a post on X he is “proud to be Puerto Rican.” He added: “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.”
Meghan McCain, daughter of John McCain, questioned if the rally could actually help Trump in the final days before Election Day.
“I actually think this rally could backfire. How is this winning over moderates and independents exactly? This is maga on steroids,” said McCain.
Even the Trump campaign pushed back on Hinchcliffe’s remarks Sunday night.
“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the campaign, said in a statement to The Washington Post.
Likewise, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign lambasted Hinchcliffe just hours after a stop at a Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia where she announced a new agenda aimed at upgrading critical infrastructure and the economy in the Caribbean island.
“A reminder: Pennsylvania is home to more than 1 million Latinos who are primarily of Puerto Rican backgrounds,” the campaign wrote.
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is Puerto Rican, also lashed out at Hinchcliffe Sunday afternoon while live streaming an event with her party’s vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“When you have some a--hole calling Puerto Rico ‘floating garbage,’ know that that’s what they think about you,” she said. “It’s what they think about anyone who makes less money than them.”
Hinchcliffe pushed back on the remarks, saying that his critics “have no sense of humor” while insisting that he loves Puerto Rico because he vacations there.
“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 wrote on X. “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set.”
A number of prominent Puerto Ricans also came out in support of Harris following Trump’s rally on Sunday, including rapper Bad Bunny and singer Ricky Martin.
