Conservatives Torch Controversial Comedy Routine at Trump Rally: ‘Stupid,’ ‘Classless’ and ‘Racist’
A number of conservatives joined the chorus of critics trashing comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s routine at Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, ripping it as “stupid,” vicious,” “classless,” “racist,” and “unfunny.”
At the rally, Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean,” made a joke about carving watermelons with a Black friend, mused that “Jews have a hard time throwing that paper,” and complained that these Latinos, they love making babies, too, just know that. They do. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country.”
The jokes fell flat online, where many including many conservatives expressed their disapproval of the routine.
“Disgusted by @TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values,” wrote Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) on X. “Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Educate yourself!”
Her colleague, Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) concurred, calling Hinchcliffe’s joke “completely classless & in poor taste.”
“@TonyHinchcliffe clearly isn’t funny & definitely doesn’t reflect my values or those of the Republican Party,” he added.
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) also condemned Hinchcliffe, arguing that “This joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans! I’ve been to the island many times. It’s a beautiful place. Everyone should visit!”
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-FL) said he was “proud to be Puerto Rican” and that “the only thing that’s ‘garbage’ was a bad comedy set.”
Conservative commentators expressed similar sentiments. In his Monday morning newsletter, National Review‘s Jim Geraghty argued that Hinchcliffe’s “ugly, unfunny ‘jokes'” didn’t do Trump “any favors.”
His colleagues John Fund and Charles C.W. Cooke agreed, with the former blasting the Trump campaign for allowing the “vicious joke” about Puerto Rico to get through its screening process and the latter submitting that “it was pretty stupid of Trump to hold that rally,” and “it may cost him.”
“Politics and comedy aren’t the same thing, and one doesn’t have to be offended by jokes (I pretty much never am) to know that,” continued Cooke.
Ex-Trump advisor and CNN contributor David Urban called Hinchcliffe’s performance “unfunny” and lamented that it “offended many of our friends from Puerto Rico.”
In a statement, Trump campaign senior advisor Danielle Alvarez distanced the former president from Hinchcliffe’s comments about Puerto Rico, asserting that his joke did “not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
