Trump says he’s ‘never heard of’ Tony Hinchcliffe who made Puerto Rico ‘garbage’ joke at MSG rally

Former President Donald Trump has claimed he “never heard” of the controversial comedian who made a racist joke about Puerto Rico during his rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Hinchcliffe, known for his Kill Tony podcast, told those in the packed room on Sunday: ‘There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this, but there is literally a floating trash island in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.’

Republican candidate Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he had no idea who Tony Hinchcliffe was, or why he was invited to speak at Sunday’s rally in New York City.

‘I have no idea who he is. Someone said there was a comedian making fun of Puerto Rico or something, and I have no idea who that was. “I’ve never seen him, never heard of him and don’t want to hear from him,” he told the Fox News host.

‘I have no idea. They put a comedian in there, which everyone does… you don’t check them and you go crazy.

“What they have done is bring someone who has nothing to do with the party, nothing to do with us, has said something and they are trying to make a big deal. But I don’t know who it is, I don’t even know who put it in there. And I can’t imagine it being that bad.

“I have done more for Puerto Rico than any other president who has ever been president.”

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe speaks during a rally for Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, in New York, USA, October 27, 2024

The controversial comedian also doubled down on his racism and drew on negative stereotypes about Latinos, saying: “These Latinos also love making babies. Just know that they do. There is no question of retreating.’

‘They don’t. They come in. Just like they did to our country.”

Almost immediately, the Trump campaign distanced itself from Hinchcliffe, with Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, saying in a statement that the Puerto Rico joke “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

Democrats responded to Hinchcliffe’s comments and Republicans tried to distance themselves from the joke.

Democrat vice presidential candidate Tim Walz called Hinchcliffe an “asshole” on a Twitch stream with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the hours after the meeting.

Walz’s comment is the only one so far to draw criticism from Hinchcliffe, who said in a post on 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.

‘I love Puerto Rico and my holidays there. I made fun of everyone… watch the whole set. I’m comedian Tim…maybe it’s time to change your tampon.’

Republican Senator Rick Scott wrote of the joke: “This joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are great people and great Americans! I have been to the island many times. It’s a beautiful place.’

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump leaves after a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA, October 27, 2024

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe speaks during a rally for Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, in New York, USA, October 27, 2024

‘Everyone should visit! I will always do what I can to help every Puerto Rican in Florida or on the island.”

Congresswoman Maria Salazar wrote: “Disgusted by @TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of trash.’ This rhetoric does not reflect the values ​​of the GOP.”

“Puerto Rico sent more than 48,000 soldiers to Vietnam, awarding more than 345 Purple Hearts. This courage deserves respect,” she added. ‘Educate yourself!

Anthony D’Esposito, a Republican congressman from New York who attended the meeting, wrote: “I am proud to be Puerto Rican. My mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico. It is a beautiful island with a rich culture and an integral part of the USA. The only thing that was “garbage” was a bad comedy set. Stay tuned.”

Outside of politics, musicians and actors denounced Hinchcliffe for his racist jokes and urged their fans to vote for Kamala Harris.

Walz and Ocasio-Cortez, whose family is Puerto Rican, also criticized the comic for his comments as they analyzed the set during a Twitch stream on Sunday.

Hinchcliffe, 40, took to the stage at Madison Square Garden on Sunday to make a series of jokes, including lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and black people

Participants cheer during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York

Ricky Martin, the Puerto Rican superstar with 18.6 million followers on Instagram, quickly shared a video of Harris’ appeal to Puerto Rican voters, along with a clip of Hinchcliffe’s disparaging comments.

“This is what they think of us,” Martin wrote in Spanish. ‘Vote for @kamalaharris.’

Jennifer Lopez shared the same video and multiple slides showcasing Harris’ Puerto Rico policy to 250 million followers.

The video shared by Bad Bunny on Instagram shows Harris saying, “There is so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico.” A rep for the artist confirmed that Bad Bunny is supporting Harris.

Many within the Trump campaign fear that the joke will seriously damage their chances of winning the election

Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump attends a campaign rally at McCamish Pavilion, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, October 28, 2024

The artist then shared another part of the clip in which Harris says, “I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he didn’t do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and competent leader.”

Many within the Trump campaign fear the prank will seriously damage their chances of winning the election, less than a week before polls open on November 5.

Pennsylvania, a swing state whose voters will likely determine the outcome of the election, is home to 500,000 Puerto Ricans.

Chuck Rocha, a Democratic political operative who specializes in mobilizing Latino voters, publicly called for $30,000 in donations to a PAC he controls so he can get a clip of Hinchcliffe’s set to Puerto Rican voters across the Keystone State could send.

Less than a day later, the New York Times reported, he received the money through small donations and sent more than 250,000 text messages containing a 15-second clip from the set.

‘Puerto Ricans have a unique affinity with their homeland. When you attack the island, you become so deeply involved in the community,” he told the newspaper.