Joe Rogan Warned Tony Hinchcliffe About Controversial Puerto Rico Joke Before Trump Rally

On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan addressed the controversy surrounding his friend and fellow comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who sparked backlash after making a joke about Puerto Rico at an event held by former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden. During his set, Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” a comment that quickly led to widespread criticism.

Rogan revealed that he had actually warned Hinchcliffe about the potential risks of making such a joke in a setting that wasn’t strictly a comedy event. “I tell all comedians, don’t ever do comedy at something that’s not a comedy event. Don’t do it. Don’t ever do comedy at a place that’s doing ‘also.’ Is he going to have a bunch of speakers and you’re going to do 10 minutes? Don’t ever do that. It’s a terrible setup,” Rogan advised.

The joke itself, Rogan explained, was rooted in a real issue—Puerto Rico’s struggles with landfill and waste management. Rogan said that while the joke often lands well in comedy clubs, he cautioned Hinchcliffe about the potential reaction from audiences, especially outside a typical comedy setting. “That joke kills at comedy clubs. I don’t like the joke, but it kills,” he said. “But I said to him, dude, that’s the one that’s going to get you stabbed.”

Rogan, who frequently hosts Hinchcliffe’s podcast Kill Tony at his Comedy Mothership club in Austin, Texas, praised his friend as “the best roaster ever.” He also predicted that the backlash would likely fade over time. “I think it’ll blow over just like all these things do,” he said. “There are people that are always going to hate someone like Tony, and it’s going to make other people love him more. He’s just going through the storm right now.”