Tony Hinchcliffe claims his joke supported Trump’s campaign

Tony Hinchcliffe’s Controversial Joke and Its Impact on Trump’s Campaign

Last October, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made headlines with a joke that, he claims, benefited Donald Trump’s campaign. His remark about Puerto Rico being a “garbage island” during a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden stirred quite a reaction.

The response was predictable from Democrats, who took to comparing the rally to a Nazi gathering, full of hatred. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) suggested it reflected how Republicans perceive their opponents.

In a recent episode of Bill Maher’s show, *Club Random*, Hinchcliffe shared that the Trump campaign expressed gratitude for his unexpected distraction at the time. “When I was inaugurated and everything, trust me, they were all high fives and kissing my ass,” he recounted regarding Trump’s team. According to him, the joke was spontaneous and not strategically timed with the election week news cycle.

Maher chimed in, teasing him, “Stop pretending you don’t love it.”

Hinchcliffe described that period as “very stressful,” but he felt he managed to navigate it well, ultimately emerging from it stronger.

Vice President JD Vance also weighed in. In a press conference right after Hinchcliffe’s statement, he labeled the joke as “racist” and questioned whether Trump’s campaign endorsed such a tone. Vance went on to argue that calling Trump supporters “Nazis” might be an appropriate reaction, emphasizing that people often took offense too easily.

Vance noted, “I’m putting it very high,” when discussing the ridiculousness of the backlash against Hinchcliffe’s humor. He even elaborated on the exaggerated media scrutiny surrounding the comedian’s jokes on platforms like CNN and MSNBC.

Hinchcliffe expressed approval of how Vance handled the situation, appreciating that politicians could view the controversy through a comedic lens. “He’ll nail it every day,” Hinchcliffe remarked, commending the vice president’s understanding of the comedic context.

Reflecting on his performance at the Trump rally, Hinchcliffe wished it could sway at least a “thousand” votes in favor of Trump, hoping that the president might even acknowledge him for it.

When Maher asked if he could communicate directly with Trump, Hinchcliffe jokingly said “No,” leading to a burst of laughter from both comedians.

Importantly, Hinchcliffe has not issued an apology for his earlier comment. In fact, he highlighted that Puerto Rico indeed has genuine waste management issues, a topic covered extensively even before he made his joke.