Current:Home > ContactTony Hinchcliffe refuses to apologize after calling Puerto Rico 'garbage' at Trump rally -Triumph Financial Guides
Tony Hinchcliffe refuses to apologize after calling Puerto Rico 'garbage' at Trump rally
View
Date:2025-04-19 04:58:26
Tony Hinchcliffe is offering no apologies.
The comedian, 40, opened the latest episode of his podcast and live show "Kill Tony" by addressing controversial comments he made at a rally for President-elect Donald Trump last month, where he joked that Puerto Rico is a "floating island of garbage" and made other racist remarks.
"I apologize to absolutely nobody," Hinchcliffe declared on the episode released Monday, eliciting cheers from his live audience.
The show was recorded the day after the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, while Hinchcliffe was receiving backlash and Trump was facing criticism for inviting him to speak. Hinchcliffe said he loves Puerto Ricans, who are "smart enough to know when they're being used as political fodder."
He also insisted his punchline was simply a reference to the fact that Puerto Rico "currently has a landfill problem," and he suggested the joke was poorly received because "I'm the only person that knew about this, unfortunately."
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Who is Tony Hinchcliffe,Trump's warm-up act at Madison Square Garden?
During his rally set, Hinchcliffe told the crowd of Trump supporters, "There's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it's called Puerto Rico."
The remark drew widespread rebukes from politicians including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as celebrities like Aubrey Plaza and Jennifer Lopez. Plaza, who noted most of her family is from Puerto Rico, slammed the joke as "racist" and "disgusting" at the WSJ. Magazine's Innovator Awards.
"There are people for whom this is fine, it's just a bad joke, lighten up. For many of us, this 'joke' is a reminder of how bad it was under Trump, how he treated our people in our moment of need," Lin-Manuel Miranda also said on Instagram, referring to Trump's response to Hurricane Maria.
In a previous statement, senior Trump advisor Danielle Alvarez said, "This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign."
On "Kill Tony," Hinchcliffe said he was "currently under attack" and criticized "everybody trying to slander me online," adding, "That's what I do: I go hard, and that's never going to change."
But despite declining to apologize, he acknowledged the Trump rally may not have been "the best" place to do those jokes.
Hinchcliffe's rally set also included a racist joke about celebrating Halloween with a Black friend by carving watermelons, and he quipped that Travis Kelce "might be the next O.J. Simpson."
In addition to hosting "Kill Tony," Hinchcliffe has written for Comedy Central roasts and performed at Netflix's roast of Tom Brady earlier this year.
The comic previously responded to the Trump rally backlash by claiming on X that his Puerto Rico joke was "taken out of context to make it seem racist" and that because he's a comedian, he makes "fun of everyone."
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman and Josh Meyer
veryGood! (3791)
Related
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- How subsidies helped Montreal become the Hollywood of video games
- Joe Rogan has responded to the protests against Spotify over his podcast
- Jurors to weigh Elizabeth Holmes' fate after a 15-week fraud trial
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Embattled Activision Blizzard to employees: 'consider the consequences' of unionizing
- Ukraine says government websites and banks were hit with denial of service attack
- Shakira has been named Billboard's inaugural Latin Woman of the Year
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Blac Chyna Reveals Her Next Cosmetic Procedure Following Breast and Butt Reduction Surgery
Ranking
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Paris Hilton Hilariously Calls Out Mom Kathy Hilton for Showing Up “Unannounced” to See Baby Phoenix
- Twitter photo-removal policy aimed at improving privacy sparks concerns over misuse
- Ashley Graham Addresses Awkward Interview With Hugh Grant at Oscars 2023
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Texas sues Meta, saying it misused facial recognition data
- Below Deck's Ben & Leigh-Ann Finally Hook Up in Steamy Preview Amid His Boatmance With Camille
- 5G cleared for takeoff near more airports, but some regional jets might be grounded
Recommendation
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
We may be one step closer to storing data in DNA
Olivia Jade Shares the Biggest Lesson She Learned After College Admissions Scandal
Ellen Ochoa's Extraordinary NASA Career
Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
Cyberattack on Red Cross compromised sensitive data on over 515,000 vulnerable people
Stampede in Yemen leaves scores dead as gunfire spooks crowd waiting for small Ramadan cash handouts
'Garbage trends' clog the internet — and they may be here to stay