MAGA comic Tony Hinchcliffe, whose offensive jokes at Donald Trump’s Madison Sq. Backyard rally drew outrage from each side of the political spectrum, reportedly practiced his controversial materials at a neighborhood comedy membership the evening earlier than.
Hinchcliffe first tried his line calling Puerto Rico “a floating island of rubbish” on the Manhattan comedy membership The Stand on Saturday evening, the place it went over poorly, in accordance with NBC Information which occurred to have a information producer within the viewers.
The joke didn’t get any laughs — solely a handful of “awkward chuckles,” the information station reported.
However Hinchcliffe, a Texas-based comic who hosts the Kill Tony podcast, delivered the identical joke on the Republican nominee’s at-capacity rally the subsequent evening after claiming his routine would get a greater reception from Trump supporters throughout his shock Stand set.
“There’s quite a bit occurring. There’s actually a floating island of rubbish in the course of the ocean proper now. I believe it’s referred to as Puerto Rico,” he stated from the stage at The Backyard Sunday evening.
The insult to the US territory drew near-immediate backlash from the likes of Kamala Harris’ working mate Tim Walz, who was gaming throughout a dwell Twitch stream with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
“You’ve some a—gap calling Puerto Rico ‘floating rubbish,’ know that that’s what they give thought to you. It’s what they give thought to anybody who makes much less cash than them,” he stated, calling for Puerto Ricans to be aware of that assault on them.
The objections solely grew from there with each Democrats and Republicans blasting the distasteful remarks.
“This isn’t a joke. It’s utterly classless & in poor style,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) stated.
“Puerto Rico is the crown jewel of the Caribbean & dwelling to most of the most patriotic People I do know,” he stated on X. “@TonyHinchcliffe clearly isn’t humorous & positively doesn’t mirror my values or these of the Republican Occasion.”
“Comic @TonyHinchcliffe’s remarks are despicable, misguided, and revolting,” tweeted Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, the Republican resident commissioner of Puerto Rico. “What he stated is just not humorous; simply as his feedback had been rejected by the viewers, they need to be rejected by all! There could be no room for such vile and racist expressions. They don’t symbolize the values of the GOP.”
The Trump marketing campaign has since tried to distance itself from Hinchcliffe, who claimed his joke was taken out of context to make it appear racist by individuals with “no humorousness.”
“These jokes don’t mirror the views of President Trump or the marketing campaign,” Trump marketing campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez stated in an announcement.
The crude stand-up routine led a number of Puerto Rican celebrities to publically vouch for Harris on social media.
Hours earlier than Hinchcliffe’s stand-up set, Harris unveiled a number of coverage proposals to “construct a brighter future for Puerto Rico.”
Reggaeton musician and megastar Unhealthy Bunny reposted a Harris video on the proposals and her criticism of Trump’s alleged mishandling of Hurricane Maria restoration efforts for the island territory to his 45 million Instagram followers.
Whereas Puerto Rican residents can’t vote in presidential elections, Puerto Ricans dwelling on mainland America — together with in swing states like Pennsylvania — are a coveted voters.
Supply hyperlink
