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Republicans and celebrities react angrily to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s racist joke about Puerto Rico during Donald Trump’s marathon rally at Madison Square Garden.

The controversial comedian sparked backlash when he took the stage at Sunday night’s event in New York City and compared the Caribbean island to “garbage.”

“There’s literally a floating trash island in the middle of the ocean right now,” Hinchcliffe said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

The fallout from the joke, which fell flat in the stadium, comes as Kamala Harris unveiled her plans for the US territory on the same day. “Puerto Rico is home to some of the most talented, innovative and ambitious people in our country,” she said. “Puerto Ricans deserve a president who sees that power and invests in it.”

Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny supported Harris by sharing the campaign video of her plans for Puerto Ricans with his 45 million followers on Instagram.

He shared a clip of Harris saying, “I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he didn’t do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and competent leader.”

Jennifer Lopez also took the opportunity to share her support for Harris by reposting the video with emojis of the Puerto Rican flag and a ballot box, indicating she voted Democrat.

Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin shared the clip of Hinchcliffe’s offensive joke on Instagram, saying: “This is what they think of us. Vote for @kamalaharris.”

Several Republicans have also publicly condemned the comedian’s comments, while the Trump campaign is now trying to distance itself from the comments.

In a statement, senior Trump adviser Danielle Alvarez claimed the joke “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

Senator Rick Scott of Florida posted a statement on X saying the “joke was bombed for a reason.”

“It’s not funny and it’s not true,” he said. “Puerto Ricans are great people and great Americans! I have been to the island many times. It’s a beautiful place. Everyone should visit! I will always do what I can to help every Puerto Rican in Florida or on the island.”

Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar also denounced Hinchcliffe, saying his views “do not reflect GOP values.”

“Disgusted by @TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of trash,’” she wrote on X. “This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent more than 48,000 soldiers to Vietnam, with more than 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This courage deserves respect.”

Democrats also quickly dismissed Hinchcliffe’s comments — and the Trump campaign for platforming them.

Tim Walz and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded on the livestream platform Twitch, where the Minnesota governor called Hinchcliffe a “son of a bitch” and recalled Trump’s response to Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico in 2017.

“Does anyone remember how (Trump) responded to (Hurricane) Maria in Puerto Rico? It was absolutely horrific,” Walz said. “Down there, insulting people. The people of Puerto Rico are citizens, they pay taxes, they are in the military.”

Ocasio-Cortez added that the joke was “super disturbing.” She said, “If you got some asshole calling Puerto Rico’s floating trash, just know that’s how they feel about you. That’s what they think about anyone who makes less money than them.”

Hinchcliffe addressed the pair’s criticism in a post on X, claiming they had taken the joke ‘out of context’.

“These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist,” Hinchcliffe said. “I love Puerto Rico and my holidays there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…maybe it’s time to change your tampon.’

Ocasio-Cortez commented on his post: “I can’t get over this guy telling someone else to change tampons when he’s the one singing rocks in his. That depends after you realize there’s an opening for a Trump rally and you, along with a crowd of other bigots, feeding red meat racism to a frothing mob ironically makes you one of them.