Who is Tony Hinchcliffe? Controversial comedian and podcaster who will “never apologize” for offensive jokes

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Tony Hinchcliffe is no stranger to controversy, having made a name for himself over the years by insulting viewers, fellow comics and celebrities.

In his latest surprise, the comedian compared Puerto Rico to “garbage” as he took the stage at Donald Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.

“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 comments failed in the stadium and led to widespread condemnation from Republicans, Democrats and celebrities. Even the Trump campaign is trying to distance itself from the comments as the presidential election enters its final week.

Hinchcliffe's Instagram account, meanwhile, was flooded with angry comments from the public criticizing him for the joke.

But judging by his track record, Hinchcliffe is unlikely to apologize any time soon.

“My position is that comedians should never apologize for a joke,” he said in an interview with diversity Earlier this year.

Hinchcliffe has a long history of controversial and offensive comments.

His refusal to apologize came after he was fired by his representatives in 2021 after he made a racist slur about Chinese-American comedian Peng Dang. Footage of him insulting Dang went viral and a conflict ensued.

“I knew what I had done wasn’t wrong,” Hinchcliffe said. “It wasn't even the worst thing I did that week. I couldn't believe it when the video came out and it was one of my previous openers that did it. It was so startling to me because it was a joke, and I believe comedians should never apologize for a joke.”

Hinchcliffe has previously made controversial jokes about Sean “Diddy” Combs, George Floyd and the Baltimore Bridge collapse.

Earlier this year, he made headlines after making a mean joke about Kim Kardashian on Tom Brady's live Netflix comedy roast.

He talked about the Will Ferrell movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundyand his famous line “Whale's vagina” when he shifted the subject of his roast to reality star Kardashian, who was in the crowd.

“The vagina of a whale reminding me that Kim Kardashian is here. “She had a lot of black men celebrating their end zone,” Hinchcliffe said.

“Kim, advice, close your legs. You have more public interest than Kendrick and Drake.”

Although the event was a staged barbecue and guests could expect to make crude jokes at their own expense, many Netflix viewers felt the remarks went too far, branding Hinchcliffe's comments “incredibly misogynistic” and “disgusting.” .

Given the current backlash over his appearance at Trump's rally, Hinchcliffe shows no signs of backing down.

He responded to criticism from Tim Walz and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez by claiming they took his comments “out of context” and told the Democratic vice presidential nominee to “change your tampon.”

“These people have no sense of humor,” complained Hinchcliffe. “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 seem racist.”

He added: “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.”

The comedian grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, which he described at the time as “the crime capital of America.” Hinchcliffe said at school that he was “the class clown.”

In 2007, he moved to Los Angeles and joined the comedy scene, opening for Joe Rogan.

Hinchcliffe wrote jokes for celebrities Comedy Central Roast before moving to Austin, Texas and starting the Kill Tony Podcast with co-host Brian Redban. The podcast gives aspiring comedians the chance to become famous by having them perform a 60-second stand-up set before the judges give often brutal feedback. Kill Tony has 1.89 million subscribers on YouTube and aired live at Madison Square Garden in August, where it said it grossed nearly $3 million Pollstar.