Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made an appearance at the Madison Square Garden rally of former President Donald Trump on Sunday. His speech included a litany of jokes that many onlookers have labeled racist, prompting the American sportsbook operator to reconsider its partnership with the popular comic.
many believe he went too far during Sunday’s Trump rally
DraftKings signed Hinchcliffe, known as “Kill Tony,” several months ago. He has always been an outspoken comic, appearing on the likes of “The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN’s “College GameDay,” and Netflix’s “Roast of Tom Brady.” However, many believe he went too far during Sunday’s Trump rally.
Among the controversial comments, Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” said he “carved watermelons” with a black rally attendee, and claimed that Latinos “love making babies.” He also used an antisemetic trope.
Many have come out to criticise Hinchcliffe, chief among them the Puerto Rican community. For instance, Ritchie Torres, a New York Congressman from the Caribbean island, took to X claiming that calling the comic “racist garbage” would be “an insult to garbage.”
In the wake of that backlash, DraftKings released a statement that read: “The commentary made by Tony Hinchcliffe does not reflect the views of DraftKings.” As reported by Front Office Sports, a source close to the matter has confirmed the sportsbook is evaluating the comic’s role as ambassador.