Trump denies knowing the comedian who told crude jokes about Puerto Rico

Former President Trump said he had “no idea” who comedian Tony Hinchcliffe was after the comedian sparked a firestorm of controversy at his rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden over the weekend, calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of trash.”

“I have no idea who he is. Someone said there was a comedian who made jokes about Puerto Rico or something. And I have no idea who that was. I’ve never seen him. I’ve never heard of him and I don’t want to hear from him.” “But I have no idea,” Trump told “Hannity” in an interview that aired Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. “They use a comedian, which is what everyone does. You use comedians, you don’t check them and you go crazy. It’s nobody’s fault. But someone said some bad things.”

Hinchcliffe received a wave of condemnation and criticism from both sides of the political aisle, including Florida Republican Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, and Florida Representatives Carlos Gimenez and María Elvira Salazar.

US comedian Tony Hinchcliffe speaks during a campaign rally for former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York on October 27, 2024. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the Puerto Rico joke “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

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Trump doubled down on his knowledge of Hinchcliffe, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity: “What they’ve done now is someone who has nothing to do with the party, nothing to do with us, said something, and they try to make it a big deal. But I don’t know who it is.

“I don’t even know who put it in and I can’t imagine it’s a big deal. “I have done more for Puerto Rico than any president I believe has ever been president,” Trump claimed.

Former President Trump sits down with Fox News host Sean Hannity. ((Screenshot/Hannity))

Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny shared a campaign Video of Vice President Kamala Harris to his millions of followers on Instagram following the crass joke about their plans for the US territory.

The Harris-Walz campaign took aim at Trump over his administration’s “failed” preparation and response to Hurricane Maria in 2017, which devastated the island and left thousands dead.

“Trump failed to acknowledge the extent of Puerto Ricans’ suffering – instead he patted himself on the back and lied about the death toll while most of Puerto Rico lived without clean water or electricity. Instead of providing meaningful assistance to Puerto Ricans, he “visited the island to throw paper towels at a crowd,” part of the book reads The four-page campaign plan for Puerto Rico.

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at the Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center on October 27, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Popular Puerto Rican rapper and singer Don Omar, who has millions of followers across his social media platforms, announced Tuesday that he is endorsing Harris.

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“Puerto Rico is my home and my identity, and today more than ever I fly my island’s flag with pride. Hearing such racist and contemptuous words directed at my home and toward Latinos is heartbreaking. Trump has shown us time and time again “what he thinks of us, and the thought of him and his administration being back in power is deeply troubling,” he said wrote in a post on Xformerly Twitter.

Don Omar performs at the Coca-Cola Coliseum on March 15, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. (Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images)

Norberto Dominguez, district captain of the local Democratic Party in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where a large Puerto Rican population lives, Politico said that Hinchcliffe’s comments “spread like wildfire through the community.”

“It’s not the smartest thing to offend people – a large group of voters here in a swing state – and then go to their houses and ask for votes,” Dominguez said.

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Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign rally at the PPL Center in Allentown on Tuesday evening.