Trump denies knowing comedian who told crude joke about Puerto Rico: 'I have no idea who he is’
Former President Trump said he has "no idea" who comedian Tony Hinchcliffe is after the comic ignited a firestorm of controversy over the weekend at his rally in New York City's Madison Square Garden, calling Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage."
"I have no idea who he is. Somebody said there was a comedian that joked about Puerto Rico or something. And I have no idea who it was. Never saw him. Never heard of him, and don't want to hear of him. But I have no idea," Trump told "Hannity" in an interview set to air Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. "They put a comedian in, which everybody does, you throw comedians in, you don't vet them and go crazy. It's nobody's fault. But somebody said some bad things."
Hinchcliffe received a wave of condemnation and criticism from both sides of the political aisle, including from Republican Florida Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio and Florida Reps. Carlos Gimenez and María Elvira Salazar.
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, "Now what they've done is taken somebody that has nothing to do with the party, has nothing to do with us, said something, and they try and make a big deal. But I don't know who it is."
"I don't even know who put him in, and I can't imagine it's a big deal. I've done more for Puerto Rico than any president I think that's ever – that's ever been president," Trump claimed.
Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny shared a campaign video from Vice President Kamala Harris to his millions of followers on Instagram in the wake of the crass joke about her plans for the U.S. territory.
The Harris-Walz campaign took aim at Trump for his administration’s "failed" preparation and response to Hurricane Maria in 2017, which devastated the island and left thousands dead.
"Trump did not acknowledge the scale 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 and electricity. Rather than deliver meaningful relief for Puerto Ricans, he visited the island to toss paper towels at a crowd," read a portion of the campaign’s four-page plan for Puerto Rico.
Popular Puerto Rican rapper and singer Don Omar, who boasts millions of followers across his social media platforms, announced Tuesday he is supporting Harris.
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"Puerto Rico is my homeland and my identity, and today, more than ever, I raise my island’s flag with pride. Hearing such racist and disdainful words directed at my home and at Latinos is heartbreaking. Trump has shown us, time and again, what he thinks of us, and the thought of him and his administration back in power is deeply concerning," he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Norberto Dominguez, a precinct captain with the local Democratic Party in Allentown, Pa., which is home to a large Puerto Rican population, told Politico that Hinchcliffe’s comments were "spreading like wildfire through the community."
"It’s not the smartest thing to do, to insult people — a large group of voters here in a swing state — and then go to their home asking for votes," Dominguez said.
Trump is slated to hold a campaign rally at the PPL Center in Allentown on Tuesday night.