Marco Rubio defends Trump amid backlash over comedian's swipe at Puerto Rico during MSG rally

Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Monday defended former President Donald Trump over backlash he's received for a dig a comedian made during a rally at Madison Square Garden this weekend.

Critics of the former president have lambasted Trump after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made a joke about Puerto Rico being a "floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean." Trump's campaign has distanced itself and the former president from the joke, stating that it "does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign."

Rubio commented that he understood why people were offended at the joke, but that it was not a joke made by Trump or his team, and then slammed Vice President Kamala Harris and the media for smearing the former president.

"Puerto Rico isn’t garbage, it’s home to fellow American citizens who have made tremendous contributions to our country," Rubio said in a post to X. "I understand why some people were offended by a comedian's jokes last night. But those weren’t Trump’s words. They were jokes by an insult comic who offends virtually everyone, all the time….. because that is what insult comedians do.

"What isn’t a joke is how Kamala Harris destroyed our economy and allowed dangerous criminals to illegally enter our country and terrorize, rape and murder Americans," he continued. "And what isn’t a joke and truly outrageous is how 'journalists' are helping Kamala Harris’s with her dangerous campaign of hate by calling Trump the new Hitler and how MSNBC used old footage of Nazi rallies TO SMEAR TRUMP SUPPORTERS AS NAZIS!"

Democrats, such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have compared the gathering to a Nazi rally that took place at Madison Square Garden in New York 85 years ago. 

Hinchcliffe has also addressed the backlash he's received for his act, criticizing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is running for vice president, for taking the joke out of context "to make it seem racist."

"I love Puerto Rico and vacation there," Hinchcliffe said in a post to X. "I made fun of everyone… watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon."

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.