Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene defended comedian Tony Hinchcliffe on Monday after he was widely criticized for making racist jokes at a Trump rally over the weekend at Madison Square Garden.
During his set, Hinchcliffe used racist and stereotypical tropes to talk about Black people, Jews, Palestinians, and Latinos, and compared Puerto Rico to a “floating island of garbage.”
In a message on X on Monday, Greene praised Hinchliffe, arguing the comic brought attention to waste management issues on the island, and attached what appeared to be a vague Google AI summary of the search “waste management problem Puerto Rico” as evidence.
“Also, a 2024 federal audit report showed that less than 10% of more than $23 billion in available federal funds have been spent in Puerto Rico under the Biden Harris administration,” Greene wrote of the comedian’s set, which did not contain any discussion of Puerto Rico beyond the brief insult.
“They don’t care about Puerto Rico and neither do Democrat activists in the media as they’ve reported many times about the problems Puerto Rico faces,” Greene added. “It took a comedian to force these issues to the forefront.”
The audit Greene refers to indeed does find that disaster aid has been slow to reach the U.S. territory during the Biden years, but also describes funds still languishing intended for disasters that occured in 2017, at the outset of the Trump administration.
While Greene may support Hinchcliffe, the comedian’s routine has been widely criticized as offensive.
The Trump campaign has said the joke about Puerto Rico “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” while Puerto Rican artist Luis Fonsi said the joke was “racist” and showed “these people have no respect for us and yet they want our vote.”
Republican officials are among those slamming Hinchcliffe’s jokes about Puerto Rico.
“Disgusted by @TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage,’” GOP Representative María Elvira Salazar wrote on X. “This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect.”
“It’s not funny and it’s not true,” Senator Rick Scott added on X. “Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans! I’ve been to the island many times. It’s a beautiful place. Everyone should visit! I will always do whatever I can to help any Puerto Rican in Florida or on the island.”