Jon Stewart defends comedian who joked about Puerto Rico at Trump rally: 'I think that guy is very funny'

Daily Show host Jon Stewart hit back at criticism of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's performance at former President Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday.

Stewart laughed as he said, “There’s something wrong with me. I find this guy very funny. I'm sorry, I don't know what to say to you,” in response to a montage of news anchors expressing outrage at Hinchcliffe's jokes: Mediate first reported.

Hinchcliffe was widely criticized by media networks and politicians on Monday for his roast jokes, particularly when he called Puerto Rico a “floating garbage island” in reference to the U.S. territory's overflowing landfills, as well as other swipes at Hispanics and Black people that critics described as racism .

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Jon Stewart/Tony Hinchcliffe (Getty Images)

“In hindsight, it's obvious that having a comedian come to a political rally a week before Election Day and inflame an important demographic was probably not the best campaign decision from a political perspective,” Stewart said.

“But to be fair, the guy just does what he does,” he added.

The comments were later denied by the former president's campaign team.

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

Celebrities, high-profile politicians and surprise visitors accompanied Trump at the historic MSG rally

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 27: Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024 in New York City. Trump concluded his campaign weekend in New York City with a guest list of speakers that included his Republican vice presidential nominee, U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH), Tesla CEO Elon Musk, UFC CEO Dana White and House Speaker Mike Johnson, among others nine days before election day. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Hinchcliffe responded to the criticism, arguing that his critics had “no sense of humour”.

“It's 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 appear racist,” he said. “I love Puerto Rico and vacationing there. I made fun of everyone…look at the whole set. I’m a comedian, Tim…maybe it’s time to change your tampon.”

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Alex Nitzberg of Fox News contributed to this report.