Tony Hinchcliffe’s Puerto Rico joke at Trump rally sparks criticism

Austin comedian Tony Hinchcliffe is facing backlash for making racist remarks about Puerto Ricans during his set at a rally for former President Donald Trump, drawing criticism from high-profile Puerto Ricans, including Bad Bunny.

With Election Day coming up next week, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Trump are in a final push to sway undecided voters. Both held major rallies over the weekend, with Harris making a stop in Houston, where she received endorsements from Willie Nelson and Beyoncé on Friday evening. Trump also appeared in Texas, joining the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast in Austin on Friday before hosting a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday.

Both campaigns, marked by sharp rhetoric and intense efforts to energize voters in key battleground states, continue to present starkly different visions for the country.

While the Harris campaign has centered its message on reproductive rights, Trump’s rally put a spotlight on immigration alongside several controversial moments. These included Tucker Carlson’s inflammatory description of Harris as a “Samoan-Malaysian, low-IQ former California prosecutor” and radio host Sid Rosenberg’s attack on Hillary Clinton, as well as derogatory language toward immigrants.

Who is Tony Hinchcliffe?

Tony Hinchcliffe is a comedian and writer known for his dark, edgy humor and his popular podcast, “Kill Tony.”

In 2020, Hinchcliffe moved to Austin, joining fellow comedians Joe Rogan and Brian Redban. “Kill Tony” is now based at Rogan’s club Comedy Mothership in downtown Austin, where it continues to attract fans of live stand-up and unfiltered comedy.

While Hinchcliffe is known for pushing boundaries, he has faced backlash for some of his jokes.

In 2021, a video surfaced showing him using derogatory language toward Asian Americans during a live show, where he mocked Asian comedian Peng Dang with racial slurs and stereotypes. The clip went viral, leading to widespread criticism and the cancellation of some of his bookings.

He also drew criticism during “The Roast of Snoop Dogg” for jokes that included racial stereotypes and remarks about disabilities, sparking debate about his often controversial approach to humor.

Famous Puerto Ricans respond to Hinchcliffe

The Sunday rally, which was largely characterized by racism toward Latino populations, included Hinchcliffe’s joke that referenced Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

Several celebrities have responded, including Grammy-winning artists Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin.

Although Bad Bunny did not explicitly endorse Harris in his own words, he shared a video from her official account on his Instagram story. A close source later confirmed to The Washington Post that he intended this as an endorsement of the political candidate.

“I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader,” Harris said in the video, which he shared four times on his social media. “He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back devastating hurricanes and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults.”

In the face of a growing uproar, senior Trump adviser Danielle Alvarez issued a statement Sunday night addressing Hinchcliffe’s bit.

“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” she said.

Hinchcliffe doubled down on his joke, stating on X, “These people have no sense of humor.”