Calling another country a “floating island of garbage” is definitely going to win undecided voters. At least, that’s probably what comedian Tony Hinchcliffe thought when he spoke on stage for a Trump event in Madison Square Garden.
Tony started off the joke, saying, “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there is literally a floating island of garbage in the ocean right now.” Was it going to be a terrible refugee joke given Trump’s record of slandering immigrants? It’s not just a hit at immigrants—Tony directly referred to Puerto Rico as the “floating island of garbage.”
Don’t wait for the punchline, because there’s none. The butt of this awful joke is Puerto Rico. It seems that the crowd found the punchline because they started laughing at Tony’s joke. That wasn’t the last of those jokes—Tony wasn’t done with his horrendous set. He joked about being “welcoming” to migrants while making a shoo gesture. He stereotyped Latin Americans as irresponsibly promiscuous, stating that they “loved making babies.” It’s an odd complaint to make, given that Tony’s candidate is pro-birth.
If you laugh, you’re probably racist
Tony complained about having to be politically correct in his set, and it’s understandable why. He gives out a joke, and it’s just blatant, no-context racism. If racism disappeared, perhaps his career would, too. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton likened Trump’s Madison Square Garden event as a “Nazi party.” It’s as if Tony’s jokes proved Hillary’s description right. For the MAGA crowd and Tony Hinchcliffe, racism is just a laughing matter.
Even more shocking are people defending Tony’s comments. One on Twitter wrote, “He said Puerto Rico, not Puerto Ricans. Nothing he said about Puerto Rico is wrong. It’s why the 4% moved to PA.” It may not be directed towards Puerto Ricans, but it’s a hit to the land of their origin. A nation is made of its people—including its diaspora. When Tony makes comments like that, it includes the people who still remain in Puerto Rico.
Published: Oct 28, 2024 07:42 am