Comedian Refuses to Apologize for Calling Puerto Rico A ‘Floating Island of Garbage’
Tony Hinchcliffe, also known as Kill Tony, isn’t apologizing to anyone for his comments calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” Instead, he is doubling down on calling the remark a joke.
When the comedian made the comments at President-elect Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on October 27, 2024, many thought it would hurt his chances with Latine voters.
That didn’t appear to be the case.
Tony Hinchcliffe won’t apologize to anyone
During a recent episode of his podcast, Hinchcliffe directly addressed the controversy of his comments and stood by them. The comments sparked outrage among high-profile Latine celebrities, including J.Lo, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Fat Joe. Leading into the election, Vice President Kamala Harris used the comment to campaign in heavily Puerto Rican districts alongside celebrities and politicians.
“I love Puerto Ricans. They’re very smart people. They’re smart, street smart, and smart enough to know when they’re being used as political fodder,” Hinchcliffe said on the podcast. “And right now, that is happening. And, uh, I apologize to absolutely nobody. Not to the Puerto Ricans, not to the whites, not to the Blacks, not to the Palestinians, not to the Jews, and not to my own mother, who I made fun of during the set.”
Hinchcliffe’s comments made headlines around the world. Bad Bunny pushed back hard on the narrative and defended his home and people in the Caribbean. Bad Bunny used his platform to motivate Latine voters to show up to the polls and vote to protect Puerto Rico and take a stand against the racist rhetoric.
Attacking Puerto Rico didn’t affect Latine voters
For days, politicians on both sides of the aisle and celebrities expressed anger over the comments. The campaign for President-elect Trump distanced the candidate from the remarks, saying that they did not reflect President-elect Trump’s views on Puerto Ricans.
While many assumed it would cost him votes among Puerto Ricans, the president-elect made significant gains among Latine voters. He carried all seven swing states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona.
However, the story of the election using early exit polls that Latine voters swung largely to President-elect Trump is disappearing. A new survey from the American Electorate Poll of Hispanic Voters is challenging that narrative.
According to the new poll, most Latine voters, with the exception of Cubans, stayed loyal to Democrats. Nationally, the poll shares data that claims that 62 percent of Latine people voted for Vice President Harris while 37 percent voted for President-elect Trump. Florida is the only state, among 10, where President-elect Trump beat Vice President Harris among Latine voters, winning 56 percent of the Latine vote in the Sunshine State.
This trend continued into the motivation for voting and how they voted in state and local elections. By and large, Latine voters were motivated to vote to protect democracy, provide a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, and out of fear of what Project 2025 means for democracy and their rights.
