Trump campaign disassociating with comedian who made joke about Puerto Rico at rally

Donald Trump hosted a rally featuring crude and racist insults at New York’s Madison Square Garden Sunday, turning what his campaign had dubbed as the event where he would deliver his closing message into an illustration of what turns off his critics.

With just over a week before Election Day, speakers labeled Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” called Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris “the devil,” and said the woman vying to become the first woman and Black woman president had begun her career as a prostitute.

“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,” said Tony Hinchcliffe, a stand-up comic whose set also included lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people, all key constituencies in the election just nine days away.

His joke was immediately criticized by Harris’ campaign as it competes with Trump to win over Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania and other swing states. Puerto Rican music superstar Bad Bunny backed Harris shortly after Hinchcliffe's appearance.

The normally pugnacious Trump campaign took the rare step of distancing itself from Hinchcliffe. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign," senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.

[KED-yi]

Tony Henchcliff makes a living insulting people. Why would you have him speak at your campaign rally with a week to go until election day??

[PonderingOne]

They invited him to speak, but didn’t know he held those views? Rubbish.

[intermedia]

Off-color? He called Puerto Ricans human garbage! Why was he not immediately removed from the stage? I find it stunning that they continued to let him speak. And for the record, even though it makes no difference to his statements, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens by birth. They're Americans.

[rainnmoon]

Honestly I'm all for jokes, I love dark comedy and what not but this didn't feel like a joke and that's why it didn't stick with anyone. Puerto Rico is a beautiful island and what the U.S, the puertorican government, and foreigners did to that island is a disgrace. Lots of them wanted Trump to win so this wasn't the best joke to tell.

[stkhnds]

Trump says he hires the best, so who’s responsible for hiring this guy? FACT IS, THIS GUY IS A REFLECTION OF TRUMP😮

[chadwickdoyle]

What a dirt bag. I did 20 years in the military two of my closest friends are from Purerto Rico. Purerto Rico National Guard has fought in every major conflict since the Revolutionary War! Total disrespect! So thankful that planned joke backfired!

[connielopez-parker]

Hell, hath, no fury! Why did he choose Puerto Ricans a week before the election, but this will backfire!🇵🇷

[MadelineVail]

You can tell the audience didn’t care for that joke at all.

[dopeentertainment]

Finally Tony doesn’t get praised for his garbage jokes lmao

[DougLyons-dt]

The campaign isn’t connected to him. Did he bum rush the stage and take over the mic?

[talleywacka]

Can you blame him tony dropped the ball huge he wasn't even a little funny . Smh..I think he was sabotaging trump

[larrymiller]

It was a joke, but it was in poor taste and uncalled-for.

[MLNoff]

Hours of speakers AFTER the comedian didn't rebuke him. That says it all.

[lindapindabelinda]

That wasn’t even close to the worst thing that came out of that event.

[a.w.thompson]

That "comedian" is the polar opposite of funny.

[lethamorris]

The comedian made a joke because Puerto Rico does not recycle and trash is piled up there and he was bringing attention to that. Its a joke and comedians tell them.

[cody]

Don't sound like the crowd appreciated him.
Idiot says idiot things crowd disapproved.

[VitoDRF]

For all the MAGAts on here defending him saying "you cant take a joke, " tell me what was funny about calling Puerto Rico garbage. Im legitimately curious what about that you think is just objectively funny.

[dannyb]

I felt the next joke about the black guy carving watermelons for Halloween was worse.

[Agoncor]

I’m puertorrican and I’m so pissed. Remember that it starts with a joke, then they repeat it so everyone gets the joke and laugh harder next time, until we become the joke, and then normalize it! This is how Donald Trump normalizes hate