At the latest Donald Trump rally, held on October 27 in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe sparked controversy and widespread backlash with a series of degrading “jokes” and remarks about Latinos, more specifically Puerto Ricans, as well as Black, and Jewish people. The rally, intended as a high-energy event to bolster Trump’s final campaign push, was overshadowed by Hinchcliffe’s inflammatory and racist jokes that many felt crossed the line.
Calling Puerto Rico a “Floating Island of Garbage”
In one of the most incendiary moments of his set, Hinchcliffe referenced Puerto Rico by saying, “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.” He quipped, “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” This remark was met with a mixed reaction of laughter, clapping, and boos from the audience, reflecting how divisive his comments were.
Hinchcliffe’s comment hit a particularly sensitive nerve for Puerto Ricans and Latinos in the U.S., especially those with ties to the island. Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, home to over 3 million American citizens who have long grappled with inadequate federal support, particularly in the aftermath of 2017’s Hurricane Maria, which left thousands dead and many more struggling. Many saw Hinchcliffe’s “garbage” remark as an attempt to minimize the island’s struggles and disparage its residents.
The remarks prompted Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a vocal advocate for Latino communities and a Puerto Rican herself, to voice her disgust. On a live Twitch stream where she was joined by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, she said, “When you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico floating garbage, know that that’s what they think about you.”
Walz, on the other hand, who is Harris’s running mate in the 2024 election, responded to the comments by calling Hinchcliffe a “jack-wad” and pointing out that “People in Puerto Rico are citizens. They pay tax and they serve in the military at almost a higher rate than anybody else.”
On Monday, October 28, Ocasio-Cortez went on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” where she denounced the Trump rally as “a hate rally.” She went on to say, “I think it’s very important for people to understand that these are mini Jan. 6 rallies.”
U.S. Senator from Connecticut, Chris Murphy, shared a similar sentiment on Twitter. “Not long ago, this kind of stuff would be shocking even from a fringe political movement. Now the Republican Party's closing campaign message is basically hate and racism. Just vile stuff,” he shared.
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Perpetuating Offensive Stereotypes About Latinos
Hinchcliffe’s set continued to lean into blatant racism with jokes that perpetuate offensive stereotypes about Latino communities. At one point, he said, “These Latinos, they love making babies… there’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country.” Such stereotypes, which frame Latino communities as irresponsible, particularly about family planning, have been used historically to justify discriminatory policies and to scapegoat immigrant populations.
The remarks sparked reactions across the board. Erika Andiola, immigrant rights advocate, took to Twitter to say: “This is no joke. They mean this. Every single word. But this hate towards our people goes beyond rhetoric.”
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Sunny Hostin, lawyer, journalist, author, and co-host on ABC's morning talk show “The View,” used her platform to speak her mind. "This Puerto Rican has something to say about the island that I love, where my family is from. Puerto Rico is trash? We are Americans, Donald Trump." Hostin concluded her message by saying, "My fellow Puerto Ricans, trash collection day is November 5, 2024. Don't forget it."
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Julio Ricardo Valera, founder of The Latino Newsletter, brought attention to the fact that comedy is often used this way. On Twitter, he stated, “So tired of the continued American tradition of using "comedy" to insult Puerto Ricans. From West Side Story to Seinfield to Work It to the Trump comedian today. It's raw and insulting.”
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Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival, was quick to denounce the comments through her campaign, releasing a video in which she addressed the importance of Puerto Rico to her platform and criticized Trump’s treatment of the island.
Puerto Rican celebrities, including rapper Bad Bunny, weighed in by sharing Harris’s remarks and promoting her commitment to Puerto Rico. Bad Bunny posted several videos on social media condemning the rhetoric and urging his millions of followers to vote. Ricky Martin, another well-known Puerto Rican celebrity, weighed in by telling his followers, “This is what they think of us,” in reference to Hinchcliffe’s remarks.
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Racist Tropes Targeting Black and Jewish Communities
Hinchcliffe didn’t limit his offensive jokes to Latinos. He referenced anti-Black stereotypes by talking about one of his Black friends, saying, “We carved watermelons together.” The stereotype of Black people and watermelons dates back to post-Civil War America, where such associations were used to belittle Black citizens and portray them as lesser or unsophisticated. Hinchcliffe’s use of the trope was met with groans from the audience. The comedian also made antisemitic comments, stating that “Palestinians are rock-throwers” and in the same breath implying that “Jews would never spend money.”
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Moreover, Hinchcliffe’s remarks were just one element of a rally that featured other controversial speakers. David Rem, a close friend of Trump’s, referred to Kamala Harris as “the devil” and “the antichrist,” while Rudy Giuliani accused Harris of supporting “terrorists” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Radio host Sid Rosenberg attacked Hillary Clinton, calling her a “sick son of a b*tch” and accusing Democrats of being “Jew-haters and lowlives.” These comments added to the tone of divisiveness and hostility that defined the evening’s events, amplifying the national conversation around Trump’s campaign.
Trump’s Campaign Response
Amid the controversy, a Trump campaign spokesperson, Danielle Alvarez, reportedly issued a statement saying, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” However, critics pointed out that Trump’s track record on Puerto Rican issues has often drawn similar criticism.
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In 2017, Trump was famously filmed tossing paper towels to Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria, an act widely seen as dismissive. As reported by NBC Philadelphia, Philadelphia councilmember Quetcy Lozada referenced the incident, saying, “Trump wants to act like he doesn’t hate Puerto Ricans, but his record says otherwise.”
Despite Alvarez’s distancing statement, the comedian continued to defend his jokes, saying on Twitter, “These people have no sense of humor.” In response to Ocasio-Cortez and Walz’s comments, Hinchcliffe added, “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone… watch the whole set.”
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A Potential Misstep in the Final Stretch
With around 36 million eligible Latino voters in 2024, the fallout from these comments could impact Trump’s outreach to the Latino community, especially in key battleground states. Pennsylvania, for instance, has a sizable Puerto Rican population, as do other critical states like Florida.
The Madison Square Garden rally was intended as a rallying cry for Trump’s supporters as the election approaches. Yet, it became a focal point of criticism due to offensive jokes and inflammatory rhetoric. Although Trump’s campaign attempted to disassociate itself from Hinchcliffe’s comments, the divisive impact of the evening remains clear. With the Latino vote playing a crucial role in this election, this event could have far-reaching consequences for Trump’s campaign in the days ahead.
Originally published inCommon Dreams. Reprinted with permission.
The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.
In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.
Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.
The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.
For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.
A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.
In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of
Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.
In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.
Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.
Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).
Ever since President Joe Biden announced on Sunday afternoon that he would not seek a second term and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the 2024 Democratic Party nominee, several Latino Democrats and organizations have been sharing statements of support. Here is just a sampling of the Harris endorsements. (FYI, the New York Times has a comprehensive list of all Democratic elected officials who are all in for Harris as of Monday morning. This list is being updated, and other Latino Democrats are on the complete list.)
