Long Islanders, elected leaders condemn comedian for calling Puerto Rico 'island of garbage' at Trump rally

Puerto Ricans on Long Island on Monday denounced a comedian’s comments at former President Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday, in which the comedian called the U.S. commonwealth "a floating island of garbage."

At least one Puerto Rican Trump supporter said he had lost her vote.

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made the comment amid a rash of racist jokes targeting Latinos, Black Americans, Jews and Muslims. His comments were condemned by both Democrats and Republicans, and the Trump campaign on Sunday tried to distance itself from them.

Dafny Irizarry, a Puerto Rican who is the founder of the Long Island Latino Teachers Association, called the comment about Puerto Rico "atrocious."

"I would not accept that from a student ... in my classroom. Why would it be acceptable at that national level?" she said.

"This is dangerous," she added. "We know well from history when people start picking on certain groups and certain identities, it only increases the number of attacks. Last night it was us, the Puerto Ricans. Who’s going to be next?"

She noted that many illustrious Americans are of Puerto Rican descent, including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood), the first Puerto Rican and Latino deputy speaker in the New York State Assembly, said in a statement: "I am both disturbed and outraged by the divisive and hateful rhetoric on full display at last night’s Trump rally in Madison Square Garden. These messages of hate and division violate the principles of unity, inclusion, and respect that should guide our nation’s leaders, especially in a city as diverse and vibrant as New York."

"Let me be clear: We will not be silenced and we will not allow this type of rhetoric to intimidate us or divide our communities," he added.

The criticism crossed the political aisle. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-Island Park), who is half Puerto Rican, said in a posting on X that he is "proud to be Puerto Rican ... The only thing that’s ‘garbage’ was a bad comedy set."

D’Esposito noted that his mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico, which he called "a beautiful island with a rich culture and an integral part of the USA."

Jansie Carrion, of Central Islip, said she had been planning to vote for Trump but now she won't.

"It's awful," she said of the comments. "We were supporting him and now because of the comedian and what he said about the island, he's going to lose all the votes."

Margarita Espada, founder of Teatro Yerbabruja, a group based in Puerto Rico and on Long Island that uses the arts as a tool for social change, said she had been inundated with calls and texts from Puerto Ricans outraged by the comments.

"It’s totally unacceptable to denigrate" an entire group of people, she said. "It’s very upsetting."

Marc Soto, director of prevention and community services at YES (Youth Enrichment Services) based in West Islip and co-director of the Puerto Rican Hispanic Parade in Brentwood, said, "Mr. Trump has proven himself to be disrespectful towards Puerto Rico."

"When you show disrespect for specific communities, you show you are of lesser character," Soto said. "I obviously hold him [Hinchcliffe] accountable for his words and believe they are hurtful and create a stereotype that is one too many people in our country hold."

Hinchcliffe defended himself on social media hours following an onslaught of criticism, saying his critics "have no sense of humor" and that he "made fun of everyone."

Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, said in a statement Monday that the joke about Puerto Rico "does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign."

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers, the largest health care union in the nation, said in a statement that "the vile racism and sexism on display at Trump’s event last night in Madison Square Garden — mocking Puerto Ricans, Latino immigrants, African Americans, and others — shows precisely why Trump cannot and will not be our next President."

"While Trump was holding his white supremacist hate rally, Vice President Harris was unveiling her policy platform for Puerto Rico," the statement said. "The difference between these candidates could not be starker."