If you expected Donald Trump to address the Tony Hinchcliffe joke controversy on Tuesday morning, the joke is on you.
The Republican presidential nominee, in an hourlong press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, declined to weigh in on the comedian’s comments from his Madison Square Garden rally this past weekend. Many have criticized Hinchcliffe since then for what they’re calling “racist” jokes about Puerto Ricans and other minorities.
For those who missed it, here’s one joke Hinchcliffe made on Sunday that’s upset his critics: “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.”
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among others, ridiculed Hinchcliffe for the joke.
“The thing that is so messed up — that I wish more people understood — is that the things that they do in Puerto Rico are a testing ground for the policies and the horrors that they wish to, and that they do, unveil in working-class communities across the United States,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
She continued: “And I need people to understand that when you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico floating garbage, know that that’s what they think about you. That’s just what they think about you. It’s what they think about anyone who makes less money than them.”
Some from the other side of the aisle have criticized Hinchcliffe, too.
Megyn Kelly, whose right-leaning YouTube show has been pulling in big views during the election cycle, said on Monday that Hinchcliffe’s jokes weren’t appropriate for a political rally so close to an election.
She also said the campaign is “hemorrhaging female voters” and would’ve benefited from a bit more female representation on stage (beyond Hinchcliffe, Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Hulk Hogan spoke at the MSG rally).
“It wasn’t a Nazi rally, all that nonsense,” Kelly said. “But I am telling you, even for me, and I voted for Donald Trump last week, it was too bro-tastic. OK? It was.”
Hincliffe hit back against the criticism on social media, saying, “These people have no sense of humor,” in response to Ocasio-Cortez’s comments.
After the rally, the Trump campaign distanced itself from Hinchcliffe’s speech by saying the joke about Puerto Rico “does not reflect the views of President Trump and the campaign.”
However, others, like “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, have been less inclined to criticize Hinchcliffe for the joke.
“In retrospect, having a roast comedian come to a political rally a week before election day and roasting a key voting demographic, probably not the best decision by the campaign politically,” Stewart said. “But to be fair, the guy’s really just doing what he does.”
He added: “I find that guy very funny. I’m sorry, I don’t know what to tell you.”
On Tuesday morning, Trump used some of his time to clown on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee he’s looking to beat next week on Election Day.
Trump said, “Joe’s out of it, and he’s been out of it for a long time.” He also said Harris “has obliterated our borders” and “decimated the middle class.”
The former “Celebrity Apprentice” host then used the majority of his time to talk about people like Alexis Nungaray, who have had family members killed by illegal immigrants in recent years.
“[Harris is] going out and only criticizing. Talking about Hitler, and Nazi, because her record’s horrible,” Trump said. “Her borders are the worst in the history of the world.”
Raquel “Rocky” Harris contributed to this report.
