Puerto Rico Called A 'Floating Island Of Garbage In The Middle Of The Ocean' At Trump Rally, Comments Attract Backlash

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, popularly known as Kill Tony, is facing severe criticism for his derogatory comments about Puerto Rico and Latinos made at a recent Trump rally.

What Happened: Hinchcliffe’s contentious remarks were made during his performance at a rally for former President Trump at Madison Square Garden. The comedian’s comments, which included offensive statements about Puerto Rico and Latinos, sparked immediate criticism from Democrats and the Harris campaign, reported The Hill.

Hinchcliffe’s comments included referring to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean,” and a generalization about Latinos, stating they “love making babies.” These remarks drew mixed reactions from the audience.

Democrats, including Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), were swift to condemn Hinchcliffe’s comments. The Harris campaign also highlighted the timing of these comments, as Vice President Harris was in Philadelphia at a Puerto Rican restaurant, discussing her plans to aid the island and enhance its electrical grid.

“As a Puerto Rican, I am tempted to call Hinchcliffe racist garbage but doing so would be an insult to garbage,” said Torres.

Alyssa Farah, a former Trump White House official, said, “Who wants to tell these guys there are ~ HALF A MILLION Puerto Ricans living in Battleground PA, whose votes are up for grabs?"

See Also: Scaramucci: Election ‘Too Close To Call’ But Expects Harris To Win And Trump To Try To Avoid Jail

Why It Matters: Hinchcliffe’s comments come at a time when the political landscape is highly sensitive. The presidential race between Harris and Trump is extremely close.

In 2019, Trump had labeled Puerto Rico as “one of the most corrupt places on earth.” His comments were made after a hurricane hit in 2017 in which nearly 3000 people had died.

The Caribbean island was left without power for months after the storm. The Trump administration’s response to the calamity was criticized at the time. Trump had questioned the official death toll. In 2020 his administration placed restrictions on relief funding citing corruption concerns, according to a prior report.

Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal