Tony Hinchcliffe has been the target of online backlash as the comedian directed racist jokes at Latin, African-American, Palestinian, and Jewish ethnicity. Questions about the event and the Madison Square Garden rally for Donald J. Trump have arisen.
The comedian opened the rally on 27 October 2024, where he called Puerto Rico an “Island of garbage” in a set that also included disregarding remarks about other communities that have settled in America for the longest time in the country’s history.
Tony Hinchcliffe is of white ethnicity and was raised by his single mother in Youngstown, Ohio, and attended Ursuline High School. Before joining the entertainment industry, he was on a local wrestling team and grew up in a tough neighborhood.
Trump rally speaker: “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico” pic.twitter.com/pbw88p5PhI
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 27, 2024
Moreover, Hinchcliffe revealed that his upbringing helped him develop roasting as a defense mechanism and used it to shape his career. He had an estranged relationship with his father and incorporated personal events in his comedy.
In 2007, Hinchcliffe moved to Los Angeles to pursue a comedy career and performed at stand-up at open mics at the Comedy Store in West Hollywood while also working at the phone and the cover booth.
Later, his ability to insult other comics and audience members during shows helped him open shows on tour for comedians Joe Rogan and Jeff Ross. The comedian considered Ross as his mentor, who helped him get his first writing job.
However, Hinchcliffe’s career has been filled with controversies and public backlash as his jokes seem deep-rooted in bringing down or mocking other ethnic communities.
During his May 2021 set, the comedian included anti-Asian racial slurs in his show, which resulted in his drop from his agency.
Additionally, the comedian lost several engagements and received criticism for his comments, which were deemed racist, misogynistic, and antisemitic by his audience.
Trump’s team had to clarify that the politician doesn’t align with Tony Hinchcliffe following his recent set!
The crowd in Madison Square Garden was significantly white, with a notable number of Latinos. Hinchcliffe started the event by attacking the community and implying that they migrated illegally to the States.
Further, the comedian added to his joke, “These Latinos love making babies, too. Just know that they do. They come inside, just like they did to our country.” The comment received scattered cheers and applause from the audience, but that didn’t stop Hinchcliffe from continuing his program.
Many mentioned that Trump has invited speakers during his rallies, which could tarnish his political standing in the 2024 presidential elections. In addition to Hinchcliffe, the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson spoke during the event and directed comments on Kamala Harris.
Trump rally speaker: “And these Latinos, they love making babies too. Just know that. They do. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country.”
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) October 27, 2024
pic.twitter.com/iZoheUraCW
Additionally, Carlson stated that Harris’s racial identity and intelligence could pose a problem in the elections and mocked the idea that she could win in November.
After the event, political leaders, including the Republicans, criticized the choice of speakers for Madison Square Garden.
In response to Hinchcliffe’s comments, Tim Walz added, “People in Puerto Rico are citizens. They pay tax and they serve in the military at almost a higher rate than anybody else.” The statements also addressed Trump throwing relief materials to Puerto Ricans during Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Moreover, Trump’s team tried to control the damage done by Hinchcliffe and wrote that the jokes don’t reflect GOP values and the politician’s election agendas. Many estimate that jokes might have a long-standing effect on overall results.
However, Hinchcliffe has taken things lightly and claimed through his social accounts that people cannot make jokes nowadays. He mentioned that people took his sets out of context to make them seem racist.
Additional Information
- Tony Hinchcliffe has worked on Netflix’s One Shot and YouTube’s Making Friends. His roasting style and dark sense of humor have appealed to comedians like Jeff Ross.
- According to sources, Tony Hinchcliffe’s estimated net worth is approximately $6 million, which comes from a mix of stand-up performances, brand deals, a podcast, and his past work as a writer.