RFK Jr. defends Tony Hinchcliffe and Trump after Puerto Rico joke

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted a lengthy post on social media Friday urging his followers to forgive Tony “Kill Tony” Hinchcliffe for a joke about Puerto Rico made at Sunday’s rally at Madison Square Garden that has offended Puerto Ricans and Latinos more broadly. 2024 presidential campaign. Several prominent Puerto Ricans, including Jennifer Lopez and Bad Bunny, subsequently came out in support of Trump’s Democratic challenger Kamala Harris.

“Tony Hinchcliffe is my friend,” Kennedy’s post began. “His special comedic ability to subvert conventional wisdom and offend sensibilities has made him the king of sizzling comedies. So I was dismayed but not shocked by his offensive joke about Puerto Rico at President Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden last weekend.”

Kennedy then took aim at Democrats who used the offensive joke to criticize Trump and his fellow Republicans.

“I was also not surprised that the DNC-allied corporate media did not report the crowd’s groans in response to Tony’s joke, but instead rushed to weaponize the joke to bolster their erroneous characterization of the rally as a right-wing Nazi-hating fest.” Kennedy continued. The joke was a boon to Democratic National Committee strategists seeking to weaken President Trump’s growing support among Latinos.

The Trump ally went on to discuss the reason why the “Kill Tony” joke hit a sore spot among Puerto Ricans.

“I knew this joke would also hurt the sensibilities of my many Puerto Rican friends who are accustomed to watching politicians, military brass and corporate leaders use the island as a dumping ground for shoddy business practices,” Kennedy added, “while blaming Puerto Ricans.” for their poverty, poor health and environmental degradation on the island.”

The politician with a background as an environmentalist, also known for his anti-vaccination statements not supported by the scientific community, went on to attack pharmaceutical and food processing companies that, as Kennedy wrote, “buried the island in excess packaging material and toxic waste.” . He went on to outline his own accomplishments in Puerto Rico.

“My strong ties to Puerto Rico go back to 1964, when I first visited the island with Sargent Shriver, who was director of LBJ’s War on Poverty,” Kennedy said. “My family already has a strong and warm relationship with the leaders of Puerto Rico, starting with Governor Luis Muñoz Marin, George Washington of the Commonwealth.”

He further noted his activity in the territory, which led to him being imprisoned for 30 days for illegal entry into the territory as part of this propaganda activity.

“I spent the summer of 2001 in a maximum security prison in Puerto Rico for my role as a leader in the fight to end the naval bombardment of Vieques,” Kennedy wrote. “The Navy’s illegal dumping of millions of tons of highly toxic naval munitions has poisoned fish and birds, destroyed beaches and forests, and left the island’s residents with the highest cancer rates and highest unemployment in the Caribbean.”

“I named my youngest son Aidan Vieques because I first saw him in the prison visitor’s room,” Kennedy continued. “We succeeded in driving the Navy out of Vieques, but the Pentagon left behind millions of tons of unexploded ordnance and toxic waste, despite repeated promises and multiple court orders to remove it.”

“This is the same “garbage” that Tony was talking about in his bad joke,” added the upset politician. Although they acknowledged that his joke was, well, a joke, many Puerto Ricans familiar with the practice still felt stung by Tony’s words, which seemed to blame Puerto Ricans for the waste that the US military, political and corporate leaders dumped on them island. “

Kennedy went on to note that he has spoken with Puerto Ricans who agree that Hinchcliffe’s “bad joke” does not reflect Trump’s own views on Puerto Rico.

“But most Puerto Ricans I’ve spoken to also acknowledge that the joke does not reflect President Trump’s affection for the island and its people,” Kennedy continued, before praising Trump’s response to Hurricane Maria in 2017. “Former Governor Ricky Rosello told me that no US president in decades has done more for Puerto Rico than President Trump, who personally came to the island after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and did everything in his power, to ensure that the affected citizens of the hard-hit island do not feel abandoned by their government.”

“After he and Melania toured hurricane-damaged areas and met with victims, President Trump said he and the first lady love and are praying for the “great, great people” on the “great and beautiful island” of Puerto Rico.” ,” Kennedy wrote. . “We are mobilizing all federal resources at our disposal,” he said. “There are now more than 15,000 federal employees on the island. We will not rest until this work is completed. Puerto Rico has a long road to recovery, but we know its people are proud, resilient and will come back strong.”

He went on to note how Trump spoke out following the reaction to Sunday’s joke.

“At a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, he said, ‘Nobody loves our Latino community and our Puerto Rican community more than I do.’ He promised: “I will ensure a better future for Puerto Ricans and Latinos,” Kennedy said, before noting praise from “Puerto Rico’s shadow senator,” since the territory does not have its own representation in the Senate. “At the same rally, Zoraida Buxo, the shadow senator from Puerto Rico, enthusiastically endorsed President Trump. “I strongly and completely support and approve the nomination of Donald Trump as our 47th president—to make America great again and, of course, to make Puerto Rico shine again,” Buxo told the crowd. “We need this man back in the White House. We need this man to become our commander in chief. He will make us feel safe and protect us.”

Kennedy concluded his statement by saying, “As a New York businessman, President Trump observed and appreciated the economic contributions of Puerto Ricans in New York. The tiny island has also given our city a disproportionate share of our greatest politicians, actors, entertainers and sports heroes. Given his history of support for Puerto Rico and its people, I am confident that when he is in the White House, President Trump will look out for the interests of Puerto Ricans and Hispanic Americans, who now make up a large and growing portion of the population. “The vast MAGA coalition is poised to give him victory on November 5th.”

Trump said this week that he did not know Hinchcliffe and had not heard the joke. Given that he has promised mass deportations if undocumented Latinos are elected, it remains to be seen how broadly Latino voters will support Trump in this election.