On October 27, 2024, Donald Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden — the iconic arena in the heart of New York City. The event was designed as a cultural spectacle: a closing argument to the campaign in the city where Trump built his brand. The crowd filled all 19,500 seats. The atmosphere was electric. And then the warm-up act started talking.
The “Jokes”
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, a stand-up known for “roast” style humor, took the stage and delivered a set that included:
“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. Yeah, I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
He also made a joke about Latinos “loving to make babies” and made sexual comments about a Latina colleague. The crowd — the people who came to support the man running for president — laughed and cheered.
The Fallout
The backlash was swift and bipartisan. Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón, a Republican who had endorsed Trump, called the remarks “despicable.” Bad Bunny, the most-streamed artist on Spotify, endorsed Kamala Harris in response and shared a video about Puerto Rico’s struggles. Ricky Martin posted the clip to his 18 million Instagram followers. Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida called the comments “not funny.”
Trump’s campaign issued a statement saying “the joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” Trump himself never disavowed the remarks. He spoke for over an hour after Hinchcliffe’s set and did not address it.
Puerto Rico has 3.2 million American citizens. They cannot vote in presidential elections, but millions of Puerto Ricans living in swing states — Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio — can. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017, Trump threw paper towels at hurricane survivors and later disputed the death toll of nearly 3,000 people. The MSG rally wasn’t the first time he treated Puerto Rico as disposable. It was the most public.
The Rally
The Puerto Rico comments weren’t the only offensive material. Other speakers called Harris “the Antichrist” and the “devil.” One speaker used a racial slur. Another made jokes about Black men and watermelons. The event, held nine days before the election, was a concentrated showcase of the rhetoric that defined the MAGA movement — and the crowd ate it up.
Multiple commentators compared the event to the 1939 Nazi rally held at the same venue by the German American Bund. That comparison was rejected by Trump’s supporters as hysterical. The record is the record. A rally at MSG featured racist jokes, dehumanizing language about ethnic minorities, and a crowd cheering for all of it. Draw your own conclusions.
Bottom Line
3.2 million American citizens live in Puerto Rico. They have served in every American war since World War I. They pay billions in federal taxes. And at a presidential campaign rally nine days before the election, they were called a “floating island of garbage” to cheers and laughter. The candidate said nothing. The campaign sent a press release. And the voters who were offended were outnumbered by the voters who weren’t. That’s the math. That’s the country.
Sources
- ABC News: “Offensive Latino, Puerto Rico jokes at Trump MSG rally launches wave of criticism,” October 28, 2024.
- Associated Press: MSG rally coverage and bipartisan backlash to Puerto Rico joke.
- New York Times: Rally coverage, comedian remarks, campaign response.
- Politico: Political fallout and Latino voter reaction analysis.