Controversial comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made headlines for his racially charged remarks about Latinos during a rally for former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday.
Hinchcliffe stated, “I welcome migrants to the United States of America with open arms. And by open arms I mean like this,” as he waved his hands dismissively, indicating he wanted them to leave. He further added, “It’s wild. And these Latinos, they love making babies, too, just know that. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country,” followed by a laugh, claiming “Republicans are the party with a good sense of humor.”
He also called Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, “garbage,” saying, “There’s a lot going on. Like 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.” The audience reacted with groans, to which he responded with a chuckle.
Hinchcliffe’s comments come just nine days before an election where Trump is looking to gain significant support from Latino voters. Pennsylvania, a key battleground state in the 2024 election, has a substantial Puerto Rican voting population.
Additionally, Hinchcliffe made a racially insensitive comment towards African Americans, pointing to a Black man in the audience and stating, “That’s one of my buddies. He had a Halloween party last night. We had fun. We carved watermelons together. It was awesome.”
The rally has drawn comparisons to a 1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, with Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of MeidasTouch News, tweeting a remark about the similarities.
Hinchcliffe is known for his work with Joe Rogan and for writing for Comedy Central Roasts. He launched his podcast, “Kill Tony,” in 2013. In 2021, he faced backlash and was dropped from his agency after using a racial slur against an Asian American comedian. He admitted to never apologizing for the incident, claiming his policy is to “never apologize.”
Vice President Kamala Harris recently visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia and discussed the establishment of a Puerto Rican Opportunity Economy Task Force, pledging to bring resources to the territory if elected.