Comedian who made anti-Asian remarks spews more racist ‘jokes’ at Trump rally
By Carl Samson
Stand-up comedian Tony Hinchcliffe sparked outrage on Sunday after launching a series of racist jokes at a Donald Trump rally in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. His remarks, denounced by members of both political parties, bring back to memory his history of making anti-Asian comments.
- What happened: Hinchcliffe delivered a set filled with racist slurs targeting various minority groups at the rally, which was meant to serve as a key event before Election Day. His most inflammatory comments included derogatory references to Latinos, describing them as having an uncontrolled population growth. “[They] love making babies. There’s no pulling out. They come inside, just like they do to our country,” he quipped. Hinchcliffe also disparaged Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” The rally’s tone darkened further as Hinchcliffe’s jokes extended to antisemitic and Black stereotypes. His performance was met with groans and sporadic laughter from the crowd but sparked fierce criticism outside the venue. In an X post, U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Florida) said Hinchcliffe’s racist rhetoric “does not reflect GOP values,” while Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-New York) noted that “the only thing that’s ‘garbage’ was a bad comedy set.” Meanwhile, Democrats capitalized on the uproar, with figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez saying, “When you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico ‘floating garbage,’ know that that’s what they think about you.”
- The big picture: Sunday’s controversy follows a familiar pattern for Hinchcliffe, who faced backlash in 2021 after openly mocking Chinese American comedian Peng Dang with a racial slur and a fake Asian accent. His comments, which ridiculed Asian stereotypes, occurred amid rising anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S. and were widely condemned on social media. Dang at the time told NextShark that he was shocked and upset, recalling the moment he introduced Hinchcliffe to the stage in Austin, Texas, only to be called a “filthy little f*cking ch*nk.”
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