Puerto Rican Latino's 'offensive' jokes at Trump-MSG rally spark a wave of criticism

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe came under fire for his comments about Latinos and Puerto Rico at former President Donald Trump's Sunday campaign rally at New York's Madison Square Garden.

After Hinchcliffe made a vulgar joke about how Latinos “love having babies,” he later turned his attention to the Caribbean island.

“I don't know if you know this, but right now there's literally a floating island of trash in the middle of the ocean. I think her name is Puerto Rico.”

That joke came after Trump made a similar comment last Thursday in which he called the U.S. a “dumpster for the world,” escalating his anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Hispanic groups on both sides of the aisle called Hinchcliffe's comments “derogatory,” “offensive” and “disrespectful.”

According to the Pew Research Center, an estimated 36.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote this year, making up about 15% of the electorate. Puerto Ricans living in the US territory do not have the right to vote in the presidential election – but key swing states like Florida and North Carolina are home to prominent Hispanic and Latino communities.

“The Trump campaign's tolerance for offensive humor, particularly directed at Puerto Rico and its people, illustrates a disturbing pattern of disregard for the island's people and their challenges,” the League of United Latin American Citizens said in a statement to ABC News. “Such careless words not only deepen wounds but also normalize harmful rhetoric.”

The Republican National Hispanic Caucus also condemned the comments.

“Such ignorant comments not only fail to recognize Puerto Rico’s resilience, but also misrepresent the commitment shown by President Trump and his administration to the island,” the statement said. “Puerto Ricans deserve respect and recognition for their resilience and contributions to this great nation.”

Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation, noted in a statement to ABC News that the Trump campaign gave Hinchcliffe a platform to make his comments on the same day that Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign announced a plan to resolve it of issues affecting Puerto Rico.

“Millions of Puerto Ricans in states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and New York may no longer live on the island, but they still revere it as their ancestral and cultural home, and you cannot continue to disrespect us and think we are not leaving .” “We need to remember this when we go to the polls,” Miranda said.

Hinchcliffe also made jokes directed at other racial or religious minorities, including both the black and Jewish communities. He defended his jokes online in response to criticism from Democrats such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Harris' Vice President Tim Walz.

“These people have no sense of humor,” Hinchcliffe wrote in an X post. “It's wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his 'busy schedule' to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone… Watch the whole series. “I'm a comedian, Tim… maybe it's time to change your tampon.”

The Trump campaign distanced itself from Tony Hinchcliffe's anti-Puerto Rico joke.

“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez wrote in a statement to ABC News.

Other Republican figures, including María Elvira Salazar, condemned the jokes online.

“This rhetoric does not reflect the values ​​of the Republican Party,” Salazar said on X.

The joke came shortly after Harris announced an “opportunity economy” plan for Puerto Rico that drew plaudits online from prominent Hispanic figures with tens of millions of followers, including singers Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Luis Fonsi.

Their plan includes creating a new Puerto Rico task force with the goal of rebuilding and modernizing the territory's energy grid, expanding access to clean energy, building affordable housing and more.

Trump was criticized for his handling of Hurricane Maria in 2017, during his first term. He has long overstated how much disaster aid Puerto Rico received after the storm and also came under fire for throwing paper towels into a crowd of Puerto Ricans at a relief center in the hurricane-ravaged area after Maria hit.

Additionally, during its response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, FEMA lost track of more than a quarter of a billion dollars worth of food and supplies destined for Puerto Rico, according to a Department of Homeland Security report Delays and mismanagement were noted in the disaster response efforts.

However, Trump's White House approved nearly $13 billion in federal aid to help rebuild Puerto Rico's power grid and education system in 2020.