Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe jokingly referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” at Donald Trump’s rally on Oct. 27. This joke is offensive in regards to the US territory which is home to many who have moved from the island and now live in America. Making such a remark so close to the election was a rookie move on Hinchcliffe representing Trump. There are over 1.1 million Puerto Ricans based in NY. To degrade a beloved island in Madison Square Garden in New York will skew the voters who were once loyal to Trump. Hinchcliffe basing his jokes on racist stereotypes against Black and Hispanic Americans displays a lack of concern on encouraging their vote and treating minorities as a scapegoat for this particular rally.
Since the comedian’s performance Hinchcliffe has been receiving backlash from Senators like Rick Scott commenting that “the joke bombed for a reason: because it is not true.” Scott as a republican Senator disapproving of this in association with the running presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks volume on how inappropriate this was. It has been stated that Trump has “distanced” himself from the comment from his reporting advisors.
It seems as though whoever approved of the comedian to participate at the Trump rally did not take into consideration the 36.2 million registered Hispanic voters. Trump responding to the backlash with a lack of awareness on who he is resembles the lack of connection he has with a important demographic in America. Mocking Boricuas is degrading, insensitive, and tasteless especially in a high-stakes political climate.
Bad Bunny was a notable figure who finally broke through his ambiguous silence regarding politics with great emphasis on Puerto Rican pride. The famous latin artist provided a video depicting the rich island of Puerto Rico full of historical influence across the many scientists, athletes, poets, and educators that have impacted American culture. The island was sent a beautiful message from a bad bunny full of pride and solidarity. In the caption of the video he puts simple “garbage” , a subtle remark referring to Hichcliffe.
Harris has since put out spanish ads creating a juxtaposition between both presidential candidates responding to the comedian’s joke. Although a kind gesture on Harris’s part this is only a small interaction with the hispanic community creating a loose connection. These are only ideas, but compared to an offensive attack on Puerto Rico, there still can be a shift in who the Puerto Rican people vote for. Holding the two presidents accountable for their words is crucial in making voting decisions. Bringing a comedian like Hinchcliffe to an event so close to election day was a huge mistake on Trump’s part. Because it only made his running opponent more favorable amongst the latin community.
