A “floating island of garbage”. These were the words the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe used to describe Puerto Rico. At former president Donald Trump’s rally in Madison Square Garden the comedian attempted to land a joke, however is receiving major backlash due to its racist content.
The deputy director of Hispanic communications for the Republican National Committee and Trump campaign said “they don’t have absolute control” over what the speakers were saying. The response to this claim were questions based on the fact that Hinchcliffe read his routine from a teleprompter. Not only does this exemplify the carelessness of Trump’s campaign, but the blatant disrespect for a territory of the United States.
Furthermore, senior advisor Danielle Alvarez reported to NBC News “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign”. As for Donald Trump, he has stayed silent so far, showing no personal support or disapproval regarding the joke. However, many celebrities have been vocal in showing their distaste and disapproval regarding Hinchcliffe’s racist joke. Aubrey Plaza, an actress, announces that her abuelita would say “Tony Hinchcliffe, go f— yourself”. Additionally, the Puerto Rican reggaeton star, Bad Bunny, shared a video of Kamala’s Harris and her response to advocate his support of her to his 45 million followers on Instagram. Rafael Collazo, executive director of UndiosUS Action Fund, a Latino advocacy organization reported on Monday morning that Puerto Ricans were volunteering to knock on doors in Philadelphia and Reading with the intent of showing support for Kamala Harris’s campaign. Unfortunately for Hinchcliffe, it appears that his words did more support for the Harris campaign than for Trump.This uproar of support for Puerto Rico is an uplifting reminder that America is a country that is based on unity and equality.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/28/trump-rally-attacks-puerto-rico-harris/
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/aubrey-plaza-tony-hinchcliffe-19874205.php
8 comments:
This 'joke' just seems so bizarre to me. When I first heard about it, I figured that there was some exaggeration. But when I watched the clip, I was still in disbelief. It seemed like a "trojan horse" move, essentially sabotaging the Republican part, specifically Trump, and running a bad rep so that people would vote blue. With less than a week until election day, this joke may potentially be the final blow for Trump, as swing states, especially Hispanic voters, vote blue. Arguably, the worst part about this was the crowd's reaction to such an ugly statement. To me, this shows a progression of hate. How a problem involving people can grow into a hate for said people. What started off in 2016 with Trump's wall to block off immigration has turned into genuine hate.
Me when I make a joke with the wrong friend group:
Anyways, although this joke was targeted at Puerto Ricans specifically, immigrants from Cuba, and Jamaica most likely also take sort of the bite of the bullet -- they're country could've just as easily been dismissed like Puerto Rico at Trump's rally. This also probably goes for struggling immigrants as a whole -- as not only is Hinchcliffe literally saying that Puerto Rico is not "as good" as the US, he's also being dismissive of "lesser" countries in general, which obviously leads to disdain and some sort of pushback.
We'll see if Florida turns slightly more blue as a result of these comments -- although Puerto Rico itself gets a (very sad and perhaps unfair) 0 electoral votes, many Puerto Ricans and Cubans live in Florida and may perhaps just start voting or switch from voting red to voting blue.
Even if Trump "wasn't aware of the topics Tony Hinchcliffe was going to discuss in his comedic act," the fact that a Trump supporter---one allowed permission to speak at a Trump campaign---thinks this way definitely mirrors the priorities and thoughts of Trump. I agree that the fact Hinchcliffe was reading off of a telepropter totally dismisses the possibility that Trump and the Republican National Committee had no control over his act, for someone from the Trump campaign or the committee must have typed and approved the act and never once felt the need to consult others about the offensive nature of some comments. Hinchcliffe also made controversial comments about Latinos, babies, and immigration, which I believe deinitiely had the potential of turning any Latinos or immigrants for Trump away from voting for him, as it did with some Puerto Ricans. Since the instance, Jennifer Lopez, famed singer and actress, spoke out about the rude comments toward her country and Latinos, and alongside many other Puerto Rican superstars, endorced Kamala Harris. In her speech she stated, “We should be upset. We should be scared and outraged." Her continued use of the pronoun "we" rallies all Puero Ricans to think alongside herself, and collectively realize that a political candidate who criticizes innocent citizens of their own country is unfit to serve and bring equality to America.
Tony Hinchcliffe's joke about Puerto Rico at the Trump rally was not only insensitive but also revealed a troubling disregard for the territory and its people. Describing Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage" was a poor attempt at humor, especially considering the real struggles many Puerto Ricans face and their contribution to the union. Ironically, while Hinchcliffe might have hoped to garner support for Trump's campaign, his words seem to have inadvertently strengthened the call for unity and support for Kamala Harris among those who value respect and representation for all Americans.
Even if Trump claims he had no knowledge that the joke would be made, it doesn't change the fact that it was at his rally, which should reflect his values and what he stands for. Although Trump was able to secure Pennsylvania and win the election, he was lucky that one joke didn't cost him his win. With a population that is pretty evenly split politically and its large size, Pennsylvania has been a state to watch in more recent elections. Pennsylvania is home to the third highest Puerto Rican population in the country, which is why this single comment raised concerns by many Republicans. Personally, I was surprised that this joke didn’t cost him Pennsylvania.
There is no way this joke is actually funny. Jokes are supposed to be funny. I'm actually surprised that this didn't swing the vote more, it speaks to a deeper issue in our political climate and the Democratic/Republican divide that even after many notable Puerto Ricans came out about this, it didn't seem to effect change in the Harris coalition vs the Trump coalition. Pennsylvania was still swept by Trump along with every other swing state, the problem is that with repetition, everything Trump and friends says is normalized to the point where this can be said without much backlash because of the invincibility that has built up after years of thick-skinning Trump's crazy remarks.
Hinchcliffe's joke is just a glaring example of how dangerous casual racism can be in the political setting. It's frustrating that despite the backlash, this didn't seem to impact Trump in the long run. Additionally, Pennsylvania was a key state in this recent election with a significant Puerto Rican population, I thought it would be the moment that would have swung things. However, as we have seen in recent years, controversial remarks and outright disrespect often seem to get brushed off or even normalized within the Trump supporters. This creates a dangerous precedent where offensive behavior is brushed off or excused, allowing it to persist and further divide the electorate.
This 'joke' is yet another of many examples of Trump and his supporters being completely racist, and the fact that this was well thought out and rehearsed speaks volumes. I believe Trump has not acted or spoken about this subject mostly because Puerto Ricans do not make up the public opinion. Puerto Ricans who live in the island are not allowed to vote in the US presidential elections, and about five million Puerto Ricans live in the mainland and would be allowed to vote. Compared to the total US population of 335 million, the number of Puerto Ricans do not clearly impact election outcomes, so there is no reason for Trump to 'care' about their opinions, especially because they are largely concentrated in few districts lowering even more their possible impact on results.
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