Republicans Bad Bunny and J Lo lead backlash to Tony Hinchcliffe's racist joke about Puerto Rico at Trump's MSG rally

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Republicans and celebrities react with anger to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's racist joke about Puerto Rico during Donald Trump's marathon rally at Madison Square Garden.

The controversial comedian sparked backlash when he took the stage at Sunday night's event in New York City and compared the Caribbean island to “garbage.”

“Right now there is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean,” Hinchcliffe said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

The fallout from the stadium-failed joke came as Kamala Harris revealed her plans for the US territory on the same day. “Puerto Rico is home to some of the most talented, innovative and ambitious people in our country,” she said. “Puerto Ricans deserve a president who sees this strength and invests in it.”

Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny supported Harris by sharing the campaign video of her plans for Puerto Ricans with his 45 million followers on Instagram.

He shared a clip in which Harris said, “I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he didn't do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and competent leader.”

Jennifer Lopez also took the opportunity to express her support for Harris by reposting the video with emojis of the Puerto Rican flag and a ballot box, signaling that she voted for the Democrat.

Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin shared the clip of Hinchcliffe's offensive joke on Instagram and said: “This is what they think about us. Vote for @kamalaharris.”

Several Republicans have also publicly condemned the comedian's comments, while the Trump campaign is now trying to distance itself from the comments.

In a statement, senior Trump adviser Danielle Alvarez claimed that the joke “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

Florida Senator Rick Scott posted on

“It’s not funny and it’s not true,” he said. “Puerto Ricans are great people and great Americans! I've been to the island many times. It's a beautiful place. Everyone should come by! I will always do everything I can to help every Puerto Rican in Florida or on the island.”

Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar also criticized Hinchcliffe, saying his views did not “reflect the values ​​of the Republican Party.”

“I am disgusted by @TonyHinchcliffe's racist comment calling Puerto Rico a 'floating island of garbage,'” she wrote on 345 Purple Hearts were awarded. This courage deserves respect.”

Democrats were also quick to criticize Hinchcliffe's comments – and the Trump campaign for using them as a platform.

Tim Walz and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded on the live streaming platform Twitch, where the Minnesota governor called Hinchcliffe an “idiot” and recalled how Trump responded to Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico in 2017 .

“Does anyone remember how (Trump) responded to (Hurricane) Maria in Puerto Rico? It was absolutely terrible,” Walz said. “They insult people down there. The people of Puerto Rico are citizens, they pay taxes, they are in the military.”

Ocasio-Cortez added that the joke was “super disturbing.” She said, “If you have an asshole calling Puerto Rico floating trash, know that that's what they think about you. That's what they think about anyone who makes less money than them.”

Hinchcliffe addressed the couple's criticism in a post on X, claiming they had taken the joke “out of context”.

“These people have no sense of humor. “It's wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his 'busy schedule' to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it appear racist,” Hinchcliffe said. “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…look at the whole set. I’m a comedian, Tim…maybe it’s time to change your tampon.”

Ocasio-Cortez responded to his post: “I can't get over this guy telling someone else to change their tampons when he's the one sucking rocks into his. Depends on you, unironically, becoming one of them after realizing you're opening up for a Trump rally and spreading racism along with a gaggle of other bigots to a seething crowd.”