Trump Campaign: We Didn't Like the Puerto Rico Joke

A comedian's speech at Donald Trump's Sunday night rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City was being widely described as racist by media outlets. As the Hill reports, Tony Hinchcliffe, whose stage name is Kill Tony, at one point said:

• "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."

That line in particular sparked backlash from Democrats as well as from the Trump campaign. "This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign," said Trump senior adviser Danielle Alvarez, per the AP.

• Democrats: Kamala Harris, meanwhile, was speaking at a Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia about her plans to help the island, her campaign said. According to the Hollywood Reporter, several Puerto Rican superstars were quick to respond to Hinchcliffe's comments. Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, and Ricky Martin all took to social media to share a Harris video addressing Puerto Ricans and sharing her proposal for helping them.

• Also at rally: Hinchcliffe also made crude remarks about Latinos having too many babies and was accused of racism toward Black people and Jewish people during his comments, at one point joking about "carving watermelons" for Halloween with a Black audience member. The night also featured Hulk Hogan, Dr. Phil McGraw, Tucker Carlson (who referred to Harris, whose parents are Indian and Jamaican, as "Samoan" and "Malaysian"), Elon Musk, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Reps. Byron Donalds and Elise Stefanik, and more. Businessman Grant Cardone said Harris "and her pimp handlers will destroy our country," the Washington Post reports. Trump's childhood friend David Rem referred to the vice president as "the devil" and "the antichrist."
• Trump: Later, Trump called the GOP "the party of inclusion." The former president began his speech by asking: "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" His supporters answered, "No!" He went on to call the election "a choice between whether we'll have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we'll begin the greatest years in the history of our country."

(Melania Trump also made a rare appearance.)