Backlash after Trump rally speaker calls Puerto Rico ‘island of garbage’

A comedian at a Donald Trump rally has called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage”, sparking furious reactions from fellow Republicans as well as Democrats.

The comedian, Tony Hinchcliffe, was among the stars who turned out for the event at Madison Square Garden in New York. He also made a series of jokes that leant on racist stereotypes.

A Trump adviser distanced the Republican from the Puerto Rico joke, which was also denounced by Trump’s Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. Harris herself was the target of another Trump warm-up speaker who also sparked controversy.

The furore came as one of the world’s top Latin celebrities, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, endorsed Harris for president.

In his joke, Mr Hinchcliffe, who goes by the name Kill Tony, said: “There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

Two Republicans in the state of Florida, which has a prominent Puerto Rican population, were among those who called out the joke – joining Democrats.

Writing on X, US congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar said she was “disgusted” by the “racist comment”. She said it did not “reflect the GOP values”, referring to the Republican Party, and noted the thousands of Puerto Ricans who served in the military.

In his own post on X, US Senator Rick Scott said: “The joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true.” He added that “Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans”.

Puerto Rico is a US island territory in the Caribbean. Its residents are unable to vote in US presidential elections, but there is a large diaspora across the US who can.

Mr Hinchcliffe also suggested Latinos “loved making babies”, and made a comment about black people and watermelons – drawing on a racist trope.

The night’s other speakers courted controversy with their own remarks. David Rem, a childhood friend of Trump, called Harris “the devil” and “the antichrist”.

And Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani falsely claimed the Democratic candidate was “on the side of the terrorists” in the war in the Gaza conflict.

Although much of the focus was on the comments by his guest speakers, Trump used the occasion to announce a plan for tax credits for those who take care of a parent or a loved one. “It’s about time that they were recognised,” he said.

He also reiterated plans for a mass deportation for illegal migrants, speaking of his wish to “rescue” places that had been “invaded and conquered” by “vicious and bloodthirsty criminals”.