Trump comedian's MSG joke draws huge backlash from Puerto Ricans
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Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe speaks during a campaign rally for former President Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday. Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
A speaker at former President Trump's Madison Square Garden rally compared Puerto Rico to "a floating island of garbage," drawing backlash from the Harris campaign, Puerto Rican celebrities and some Republicans.
Why it matters: Puerto Ricans are an important part of the growing Latino electorate, especially in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania.
- Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's controversial remarks came the same day that Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a new policy platform for Puerto Rico, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
- Puerto Rican celebrities Bad Bunny, JLo and Ricky Martin, who collectively have hundreds of millions of followers, shared Harris' announcement.
The latest: Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement: "This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign."
Driving the news: Hinchcliffe, who has a podcast called "Kill Tony," told an audience Sunday that "there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it's called Puerto Rico."
- He also said "these Latinos, they love making babies," adding: "They do. There's no pulling out. They don't do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country."
- Hinchcliffe's comments drew a strong response from Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), a Cuban American Republican, who said that "rhetoric does not reflect GOP values."
- Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who is up for re-election in Florida, tweeted: "This joke bombed for a reason. It's not funny and it's not true."

The big picture: Hinchcliffe's comments come as Trump and his surrogates have repeatedly made racist remarks about immigrants and have used language echoing the rhetoric of white supremacists and Adolf Hitler.
- Four times last year, Trump referred to immigrants as "poisoning the blood" of the nation, mirroring Hitler's 1925 autobiographical manifesto, "Mein Kampf" — his blueprint for a "pure Aryan" Germany and the removal of Jews.
- Some Republicans also have openly endorsed the once-fringe and racist "white replacement theory" — a conspiracy idea that Jews and people of color are changing America's racial composition by enacting policies that reduce white Americans' political power.
- Trump also has amplified conspiracy theories that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating house pets and repeated it even when it was proven false and a town was besieged by bomb threats.
What he's saying: Hinchcliffe said Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz of had "no sense of humor" in a post to X after the Minnesota governor criticized him for his joke.
- "I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set," he said.
State of play: The Puerto Rico bashing at Trump's rally came the same day that Harris' campaign released a new plan for the U.S. territory focused on growing the island's economy, rebuilding its energy grid and bringing down housing costs.
- "Throughout my career, I've always fought for the people of Puerto Rico. Every chance he got, Donald Trump abandoned and insulted them," Harris posted on X.
- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) jumped on Hinchcliffe's comments to attack vulnerable House Republicans in districts with large Puerto Rican voters.
The intrigue: The important swing state of Pennsylvania is home to more than 1 million Latinos, many of them are Puerto Ricans who live around Philadephia, Reading, Hazleton, Allentown, Lebanon and Lancaster.
- Puerto Ricans or people of Puerto Rican descent make up about 3.8% of Pennsylvania's population. Puerto Ricans also are key voting blocs in swing U.S. House races in New York and Florida.
- In recent elections, they have shown an independent streak, and it's been difficult to predict how they'll vote.
What they're saying: "The Harris campaign's plan on Puerto Rico also serves as a reminder that other campaigns must be proactive in presenting how they will work to address the disparities in Puerto Rico," Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of Hispanic Federation, said in a statement.
- "As a Puerto Rican who grew up in the archipelago and who has family still living in Puerto Rico, I know personally how difficult it is to see my home neglected and how appreciative I am when campaigns provide meaningful solutions."
What we're watching: Latino voting blocs are crucial in swing states Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia.
- Polls have suggested that Trump is gaining with some Latino voters without doing much targeted outreach.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from the Trump campaign and further context.
