Aubrey Plaza, whose family is from Puerto Rico, had strong words for comedian Tony Hinchcliffe after he proclaimed the U.S. territory to be a “floating island of garbage.”
During an appearance the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards on Tuesday night, Plaza took aim at Hinchcliffe. “I just wanted to very quickly respond to the racist joke that was made at that Trump rally about Puerto Rico, where most of my family is from,” Plaza said, via Variety. “Thankfully, my sweet abuelita wasn’t here to hear that disgusting remark. But if she was alive today, I think she would say, ‘Tony Hinchcliffe, go fuck yourself.’”
She added, “And yes, the Wall Street Journal can quote me on that.”
Hinchcliffe’s racist speech during Donald Trump‘s Madison Square Garden rally has drawn extensive criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Immediately following the rally, numerous musicians and celebrities voiced their support for Kamala Harris, including Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Ricky Martin.
On Tuesday, Bad Bunny shared a video on his Instagram page that celebrates the history and beauty of his home island of Puerto Rico. The video highlights Puerto Rican icons from every aspect of culture, from politicians to astronauts to baseball legends to beauty pageant winners. “We’re kings and queens and champions,” a voiceover in the video says. “We’re legends.”
Trump, of course, deflected the criticism. When speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News Tuesday, the Republican presidential candidate brushed aside the firestorm as not “a big deal.”
“I have no idea who he is,” insisted Trump. “Somebody said there was a comedian that joked about Puerto Rico or something, and I have no idea who he is. Never saw him. Never heard of them.” He added, “Somebody said some bad things… I can’t imagine it’s a big deal.” He then claimed, “I’ve done more for Puerto Rico than any president.”
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM