Washington DC, United States

The performance by a comedian at a rally of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump sparked a backlash after he called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage". 

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Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe was among some of the celebrities who performed at the event held at Madison Square Garden in New York. His jokes were not taken in good taste by many because of their leaning towards racist stereotypes.

The backlash erupted at a time when one of the top Latin celebrities of the world, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. 

Hinchcliffe, whose stage name is Kill Tony, in his joke 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."

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Later, Hinchcliffe also said, "These Latinos, they love making babies" and continued making crude remarks regarding their family planning methods before Trump came up on the stage on Sunday evening (Oct 27).

Also Read: Trump wraps up MSG rally while grooving with Melania, vows to win New York

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Spokesperson for the Trump campaign, Danielle Alvarez, distancing the presidential nominee from the joke, said that it did "not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign".

Trump faces backlash over comedian's joke

Puerto Ricans as well as Grammy-winning artists Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin, slammed Trump over the performance of the comedian at his campaign rally in Madison Square Garden.

Taking to X, US congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar said that she felt "disgusted" by the "racist comment". 

Watch: US Presidential Elections: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris Make Final Push For Victory

Salazar said that it did not "reflect the GOP values" while making reference to the Republican Party and underlined how thousands of Puerto Ricans have served in the military.

US Senator Rick Scott, taking to X, 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".

“I couldn’t believe what I heard from that Trump rally. Seeing that type of hatred on full display not only angered me, but deepened my resolve to do everything I can to make sure that he never sits in the Oval Office again,” commented Mayor Matt Tuerk of Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

(With inputs from agencies)