Backlash after comedian at Trump rally calls Puerto Rico 'island of garbage'

A comedian astatine a Donald Trump rally called Puerto Rico a "floating land of garbage", sparking fury from Republicans and Democrats and accusations of racism.

The comic, Tony Hinchcliffe, was among the speakers astatine the Madison Square Garden successful New York connected Sunday. He besides made a bid of jokes that leant connected racist stereotypes.

A Trump advisor distanced the erstwhile president from the Puerto Rico joke, which was besides denounced by Trump's Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. Harris herself was the people of different Trump warm-up talker who besides sparked controversy.

The furore came arsenic 1 of the world's apical Latin celebrities, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, endorsed Harris for president.

In his joke, Hinchcliffe, known arsenic Kill Tony, said: "There’s a batch going on. I don’t cognize if you cognize this but there’s virtually a floating land of garbage successful the mediate of the water close now. I deliberation it’s called Puerto Rico."

The enactment appeared to conscionable a mixed reception. Two Republicans successful the authorities of Florida, which has a salient Puerto Rican population, were among those who called retired the joke.

US congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar said she was "disgusted" by the "racist comment". She said connected X that it did not "reflect the GOP values", referring to the Republican Party, and noted thousands of Puerto Ricans served successful the military.

US Senator Rick Scott said: "The gag bombed for a reason. It's not comic and it's not true." He added that "Puerto Ricans are astonishing radical and astonishing Americans".

Puerto Rico is simply a US land territory successful the Caribbean. Its residents are incapable to ballot successful US statesmanlike elections, but determination is simply a ample diaspora crossed the US who can.

Hinchcliffe besides suggested Latinos "loved making babies".

He drew connected racist tropes astir achromatic radical and watermelons, which prompted groans from the assemblage - and helium called Palestinians rock-throwers portion successful the aforesaid condemnation suggested Jews would not walk wealth - invoking an antisemitic trope.

The comedian aboriginal defended his material. "These radical person nary consciousness of humour," helium wrote connected X successful effect to disapproval from Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic vice-presidential campaigner Tim Walz.

He added: "I emotion Puerto Rico and abrogation there. I made amusive of everyone… ticker the full set."

Ocasio-Cortez responded, saying: "You don't 'love Puerto Rico'. You similar drinking piña coladas. There's a difference."

She had earlier said Hinchcliffe's comments were "super upsetting", noting that her household was from Puerto Rico.

The night's different speakers courted contention with their ain remarks. David Rem, a puerility person of Trump, called Harris "the devil" and "the antichrist".

And Trump's erstwhile lawyer Rudy Giuliani falsely claimed the Democratic campaigner was "on the broadside of the terrorists" successful the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Although overmuch of the absorption was connected the comments by his impermanent speakers, Trump utilized the juncture to denote a program for taxation credits for those who instrumentality attraction of a genitor oregon a loved one. "It's astir clip that they were recognised," helium said.

He besides reiterated plans for a wide deportation for amerciable migrants, speaking of his privation to "rescue" places that had been "invaded and conquered" by "vicious and bloodthirsty criminals".

Earlier connected Sunday, Harris unveiled policies aimed astatine helping those successful Puerto Rico - garnering enactment from Jennifer Lopez, who has Puerto Rican parents, arsenic good arsenic Bad Bunny. Numerous different big-name celebrities person already backed her.

Bad Bunny posted aggregate videos of Harris talking astir the island, her ideas to assistance residents, and her attacks connected however Trump handled Hurricane Maria arsenic president erstwhile the deadly tempest killed astir 3,000 radical determination successful 2017.

A root adjacent to Bad Bunny confirmed to the BBC's US partner, CBS News, that this represented an endorsement of Harris, breaking his longstanding contented of not weighing successful connected nationalist politics.

In the past 7 years, determination has been an exodus from Puerto Rico, whose inhabitants person moved to the mainland US including Florida and plaything states specified arsenic North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Puerto Ricans are present reportedly the 2nd largest Latino subgroup successful those states.

Bad Bunny's comments appeared to beryllium pre-planned, and helium did not code the remarks by Hinchcliffe. But chap Puerto Rican vocalist Ricky Martin did, telling his fans "this is what they deliberation of us" and urging them to ballot for Harris.

There are astir 36 cardinal Hispanic voters eligible to ballot this year, according to the Pew Research centre. They person mostly formed a cardinal plank of the Democratic conjugation but Republicans person been eating into that support.

Madison Square Garden, adjacent the bosom of the city, is 1 of the astir celebrated venues successful the satellite and susceptible of seating astir 20,000.

It is besides successful Trump's hometown, and the metropolis successful which helium landed a historical transgression condemnation earlier this year.

New York - viewed by immoderate arsenic a funny prime for the last week of campaigning - is simply a coagulated bluish authorities and volition not beryllium decisive successful the contention for the White House.

Tony Hinchcliffe is simply a stand-up comedian based successful Austin, Texas, known for his podcast Kill Tony, which offers basal up comedians the accidental to audition for 60 seconds earlier Hinchcliffe and his co-host, Brian Redban.

The podcast has 1.89 cardinal subscribers connected YouTube.

The comedian grew up successful Youngstown, Ohio, and described himself arsenic "the people clown". He got his commencement successful the drama satellite moving for Joe Rogan and penning jokes for celebrities connected Comedy Central Roast.

This is not the fist clip immoderate of his comments person made headlines for their violative nature.

In 2021, helium utilized a radical slur erstwhile referring to American-Chinese comedian Peng Deng during a drama acceptable and refused to apologise.

"I knew that what I had done was not wrong,” Hinchcliffe said erstwhile asked by Vanity Fair astir that controversy. "It was truthful dumbfounding to maine due to the fact that it was a joke, and my stance is that comedians should ne'er apologise for a joke."

Hinchcliffe was 1 of the comedians who appeared connected erstwhile NFL prima Tom Brady's Netflix drama roast earlier this year.

North America analogous Anthony Zurcher makes consciousness of the contention for the White House successful his play US Election Unspun newsletter.

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