In his joke, Hinchcliffe, known as Kill Tony, said: “There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this, but there is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.’
The turn met with a mixed reception. Two Republicans in Florida, which has a known Puerto Rican population, were among those who cracked the joke.
US Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar said she was “disgusted” by the “racist comment”. She said on X that it doesn’t “reflect the values of the Republican Party,” referring to the Republican Party, and noted that thousands of Puerto Ricans serve in the military.
U.S. Senator Rick Scott said: “The joke exploded for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true.” He added that “Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans.”
Puerto Rico is an island territory of the United States in the Caribbean Sea. Its residents cannot vote in US presidential elections, but there is a large diaspora in the US that can.
Hinchcliffe also suggested that Latinos “like to have babies.”
He invoked racist tropes about black people and watermelons, prompting groans from the audience – and he called Palestinians stone throwers while in the same sentence suggesting Jews wouldn’t spend money – invoking an anti-Semitic trope.
The comedian later defended his material. “These people have no sense of humor,” he wrote on X in response to criticism from Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Waltz.
He added, “I love Puerto Rico and vacationing there. I made fun of everyone… watch the whole picture.’
Acasio-Cortes responded by saying, “You don’t ‘love Puerto Rico.’ You like to drink piña coladas. There is a difference.”
She previously said Hinchcliffe’s comments were “super upsetting,” noting that her family was from Puerto Rico.
Other speakers of the evening caused controversy with their remarks. David Rehm, Trump’s childhood friend, called Harris the “devil” and the “antichrist.”
And Trump’s former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, falsely claimed that the Democratic nominee was “on the side of the terrorists” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
While the focus was on comments from his guest speakers, Trump used the occasion to announce a plan for tax breaks for those who care for a parent or loved one. “It’s time they were recognized,” he said.
He also reiterated plans for the mass deportation of illegal migrants, speaking of his desire to “save” places that had been “taken over and conquered” by “vicious and bloodthirsty criminals”.
