ROME – Archbishop Roberto González Nieves of San Juan de Puerto Rico has condemned what many have called a racist joke by a comedian at a recent rally in support of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and demand that the Republican candidate issue an apology.
On Sunday, Oct. 27, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe was among the 30 speakers who warmed up for Trump at a MAGA rally in Madison Square Garden.
In remarks that have drawn widespread criticism, Hinchcliffe said, “I don’t know if you guys 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.”
He later made what observers have decried as lewd and racist remarks about Latinos, Jewish and Black people.
His remarks have drawn condemnation from both Democrats and two Florida Republicans, including Senator Rick Scott, as well as Puerto Rican celebrities, with singer Ricky Martin sharing a clip of Hinchcliffe’s set with the caption, “This is what they think of us.”
Amid the controversy, the Trump campaign distanced itself from Hinchcliffe, with senior adviser Danielle Alvarez saying in a statement regarding the bit on Puerto Rico, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
In an official press release addressed to Trump, González Nieves said he was “dismayed and appalled” by Hinchcliffe’s comments, adding, “Puerto Rico is not a floating island of garbage.”
“Puerto Rico is a beautiful country inhabited by a beautiful and noble people, which is why in Spanish it is called, ‘un encanto, un eden,’” meaning, “an enchantment, an Eden.”
González Nieves noted that more Puerto Rican soldiers died in the Vietnam War as part of the United States military than from any state in the country.
“I enjoy a good joke. However, humor has its limits,” he said, saying, “it should not denigrate the dignity and sacredness of people.”
Hinchcliffe’s remarks, he said, do not only “provoke sinister laughter but hatred. These kinds of remarks do not have a place in a society founded upon ‘liberty and justice for all.’”
The remarks, González Nieves continued, “do not promote a climate of equality, fraternity and good will among and for all women and men of every race, color and way of life which is the foundation of the American dream.”
“These kinds of remarks should not be a part of the political discourse of a civilized society,” he said, and called for a personal apology from Trump.
He asked Trump “to disavow these comments as reflecting in any way your personal or political viewpoints,” saying, “it is not sufficient for your campaign to apologize. It is important that you, personally, apologize for these comments.”
Trump, who delivered a staunchly anti-migrant message at his rally, has been repeatedly criticized during his 2016-2020 presidency and throughout this year’s presidential race for making vulgar, racist and denigrating remarks about political opponents, immigrants from various cultural backgrounds, and women.
Hinchcliffe, an Ohio native, is a stand-up comedian specializing in roast-style comedy, in which a celebrity is chosen as the brunt of personal and, frequently, tasteless jokes.
In response to his comments at the Trump rally, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz called Hinchcliffe a “jack-wad,” and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat with Puerto Rican roots, called it “super-upsetting.”
Scott, who this year is up for reelection in a state with a large Puerto Rican population, criticized Hinchcliffe on social media, saying, the “joke bombed for a reason,” and “Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans!”
Hinchcliffe, who in the past has refused to apologize for similar critiques of his routines, responded in much the same way after his Sunday set, saying on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “These people have no sense of humor.”
“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. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there,” he said.
So far, Trump has not issued a personal apology for the Hinchcliffe set remarks and there is no indication of whether he intends to do so.
The incident comes just a week before Americans head to the polls on Nov. 5 in what many have called one of the United States’s most contentious election cycles yet.
