An education nonprofit that had planned a pair of comedy shows in Puerto Rico for the upcoming weekend clarified on Monday that comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who made racist remarks about the island during a campaign event for former President Donald Trump over the weekend, was never scheduled to perform at either event.
Amid backlash over a racist joke, in which he referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” the Gala venue on Loíza Street in San Juan, the island’s capital, posted a social media announcement stating they were canceling an appearance by Hinchcliffe.
“We announce the cancellation of the Tech My School event, where comedian Tony Hinchcliffe was set to perform, due to disrespectful comments toward Puerto Rico. At Gala, we value respect for our culture and community. Puerto Rico deserves respect.”
But Tech My School, the nonprofit that had planned the two comedy shows at the Gala venue, clarified that Hinchcliffe was never scheduled to perform at either event.
In a statement posted on the organization’s official page and signed by founder Robert Cobbs, Tech My School confirmed that the events scheduled for November 1 and 2 will feature two emerging comedians, Enrique Chacón and Heath Cordes, both of whom have previously appeared on Hinchcliffe’s podcast Kill Tony.
Tech My School said that confusion arose after political analyst Jay Fonseca shared a post suggesting that Hinchcliffe would participate in the event. At one point, the Gala venue also mistakenly announced that Hinchcliffe would be performing, further fueling the misconception.
“Recently, Mr. Jay Fonseca made a social media post that misrepresented the mission, vision, and activities of Tech My School, incorrectly asserting that Tony Hinchcliffe would be part of our November 1-2 event. We want to clarify that Mr. Fonseca did not contact us to verify this information or confirm the participation of the listed comedians. Tony Hinchcliffe has never been invited nor included in the programming of our fundraising event,” the statement reads.
📢 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTAt Tech My School, we stand firm in our commitment to the people and communities of Puerto Rico. We categorically clarify that we do not support Tony Hinchcliffe’s…
Tech My School also distanced itself from Hinchcliffe’s controversial comments.
Hinchcliffe’s remarks, delivered during his warm-up act for Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York, drew swift backlash from Puerto Rican leaders and members of the Latino community, as well as a statement from the Trump campaign distancing itself from the remarks.
At the Garden, Hinchcliffe said: “I don’t know if you know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
Tony Hinchcliffe speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York.
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
He also made racist comments about Latinos, saying, “They love making babies. Just know that they do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country.”
His joke was immediately seized upon by Harris’ campaign, as it competes with Trump to win over Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania and other swing states. Puerto Rican music superstar Bad Bunny, one of the most popular artists in the world, backed Harris shortly after Hinchcliffe’s appearance.
The normally pugnacious Trump campaign took the rare step of distancing itself from Hinchcliffe. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.
