NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is trying to distance themselves from a comedian after comments made during an event at New York’s Madison Square Garden Sunday.
“I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” said Tony Hinchcliffe, a stand-up comic whose set also included lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews, and Black people, all key constituencies in the election just nine days away.
The Austin, Texas-based comedian is known for his “Kill Tony” podcast series and his roast comedy style.
Hinchcliffe has written eight Comedy Central Roasts and has performed on roasts and roast battles, according to his bio.
His joke was immediately criticized by Harris’ campaign as it competes with Trump to win over Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania and other swing states. Puerto Rican music superstar Bad Bunny backed Harris shortly after Hinchcliffe's appearance.
The normally pugnacious Trump campaign took the rare step of distancing itself from Hinchcliffe. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign," senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.
Following the rally, Vice President Kamala Harris posted a video on her social media platforms pledging support for Puerto Rico. Musician and singer Bad Bunny, a superstar from Puerto Rico, shared her video to his Instagram account with more than 45 million followers.
