Comedian, Tony Hinchliffe, has enraged voters in the US after making a racist 'joke' at a Donald Trump rally.
With the nail-biting election just days away, the former President and Kamala Harris are doing everything they can to bring their campaign over the line. However, during a Trump rally in Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, some Republicans were horrified when a warm-up speaker made a vile, racist comment.
In a shocking slur, Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage". It comes after Latino pop star, Bad Bunny, who was born on the island, endorsed Harris for president.
Addressing the pumped up crowd, Hinchcliffe, known as Kill Tony, said: "There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico."
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AFP via Getty Images)A Trump adviser distanced The Apprentice star from the comment, which was also denounced by Trump's Democratic rival, Harris. Harris herself was the target of another Trump warm-up speaker, who also sparked controversy.
Hinchcliffe's offering at the packed-out rally appeared to meet a mixed reception. While some tittered, nervously, two Republicans in the state of Florida, which has a prominent Puerto Rican population, were among those who slammed the joke.
US congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar said she was "disgusted" by the "racist comment". She said on X that it did not "reflect the GOP values", referring to the Republican Party, and noted thousands of Puerto Ricans served in the military.
Meanwhile, US Senator Rick Scott said: "The joke bombed for a reason. It's not funny and it's not true." He added that "Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans".
Puerto Rico is a US island territory in the Caribbean. Its residents are unable to vote in US presidential elections, but there is a large percentage across America who can.
Kill Tony later defended his material, on X, posting: "These people have no sense of humour," in response to criticism from Democratic lawmaker, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz.
Hinchcliffe added: "I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone… watch the whole set." Ocasio-Cortez responded, saying: "You don't 'love Puerto Rico'. You like drinking piña coladas. There's a difference." She had earlier said Hinchcliffe's comments were "super upsetting", noting that her family was from Puerto Rico.
The night's other speakers incited controversy with their own remarks. David Rem, a childhood friend of Trump, called Harris "the devil" and "the antichrist". Meanwhile, Trump's former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, falsely claimed the Democratic candidate was "on the side of the terrorists" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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