Who is Tony Hinchcliffe? Comedians controversial past resurfaces after Trump rally Puerto Rico joke

If voters didnt know his name before Sunday night, they will now following Donald Trumps rally at Madison Square Garden in New York at which stand-up comedian Tony Hinchcliffe took to the podium to make a series of jokes, not all of which went down well.

I dont know if you guys know this, but theres literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think its called Puerto Rico, said Hinchcliffe, whose set also included lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and black people. 

But such content is par for the course for Hinchcliffe, a podcaster and writer known for his edgy, often dark humor and sharp roasts - a comic willing and able to broach any topic, no matter how sensitive.

Born in 1984 and originally from Youngstown, Ohio, Hinchcliffe grew up in a rough, tough neighborhood in the city of 40,000, notorious for its high levels of crime.

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe compared the Democrat Party to a Diddy party after citing celebrity endorsements for Kamala Harris

Hinchcliffe, a podcaster and writer known for his edgy, often dark humor and sharp roasts - a comic willing and able to broach any topic, no matter how sensitive. Pictured above in 2017

At school he would love to roast his classmates and develop his comedic skills. 

It wasn’t just some magical moment; it was almost two decades of continuous practice. The kid that used to roast everybody in school, fully grown, 40 years old, up there, doing what I was built to do, he told a Pollstar profile earlier this year.

After moving to Los Angeles, he slowly rose to prominence cutting his teeth at the legendary Comedy Store after moving to the city in 2007 and becoming a regular at the venue. 

He gained early recognition on the circuit for his work as a writer and roaster on Comedy Centrals Roast series, where he wrote jokes for celebrity roasts.

During the pandemic Hinchcliffe left the West Coast and made a move to Austin, Texas, where comedy clubs were still open and from where he now records Kill Tony, a popular live podcast and comedy show.

The podcast which first began in LA, started in 2013 and sees amateur and professional comedians perform a 60-second set in front of Hinchcliffe together with a panel of comedians and guests, who then provide feedback and roast the budding comics.

Hinchcliffes podcast, Kill Tony, which has been running since 2013 now has millions of listeners and viewers

Hinchcliffe cut his teeth at the legendary Comedy Store in Los Angeles after moving to the city in 2007

Hinchcliffe released a Netflix special entitled One Shot on Netflix in 2016 and was also involved on Tom Bradys Netflix Roast in 2024

The podcast, which is now recorded at Joe Rogans Austin based comedy club, Comedy Mothership, currently sits 20th in Spotify rankings in the United States. 

The Kill Tony YouTube channel is extremely popular with 1.9 million subscribers with the 1-million mark only being reached this past April. The channel gets 15-30 million-plus views every month with some videos having had more than 20 million views.

A live, stadium version of the podcast at Madison Square Garden earlier this year drew in 25,000 people.  

Known for his quick wit and often controversial takes, Hinchcliffe has built a strong following among fans of unfiltered, boundary-pushing comedy with a dedicated fanbase that appreciates his bold and unfiltered approach. 

Hinchcliffe released a Netflix special entitled One Shot on Netflix in 2016, which was notable for being filmed in a single continuous shot - a choice of style that added to his reputation as a skilled live performer. 

But aside from his success, there have been other offensive comments in the past. 

Hinchcliffe was involved in a previous controversy in May 2021, after a clip surfaced showing him making racially insensitive remarks about Chinese-American comedian, Peng Dang. 

Hinchcliffe was involved in a previous controversy in May 2021, after a clip surfaced showing him making racially insensitive remarks about Chinese-American comedian, Peng Dang, above

In the offending clip, Hinchcliffe opened with a series of derogatory comments using a racial slur before making jokes about the Asian community which some found to be offensive and racist

Hinchcliffe replicated Trumps famous photo from June 2020 holding up a Bible

During a comedy show in Austin, Peng Dang introduced Hinchcliffe on stage following his own set. 

In the offending clip, Hinchcliffe opened with a series of derogatory comments using a racial slur before making jokes about the Asian community which some found  to be offensive and racist.

The video went viral and drawing widespread criticism online, with many condemning his remarks as offensive and inappropriate, especially given the rise in anti-Asian hate incidents at the time. 

Hinchcliffes supporters argued that his comments were intended as satire, and simply a hallmark of his boundary-pushing comedic style, while critics felt he had crossed a line. 

The comments resulted in Hinchcliffe being dropped by his talent agency, WME, and several of his scheduled performances were canceled. 

Dang shared his perspective afterwards, stating how he felt Hinchcliffe’s comments weren’t simply part of an act but rather crossed into territory that was offensive.

Following the backlash, Hinchcliffe faced professional repercussions, including the suspension of some of his comedy gigs and a pause in some of his appearances on larger platforms.

Hinchcliffe largely held back from addressing the controversy in detail in public.

In May of this year, Hinchcliffe hit the big time as he took part in Tom Brady’s live Netflix comedy roast.

But once again he faced backlash for a cruel joke at Kim Kardashians expense.

Hinchcliffe says learned how to be funny while at school in Ohio. He is pictured here in 2012

During a May 2024 roast of Tom Brady, Hinchcliffe, left, said to Kim Kardashian, Kim, word of advice, close your legs, you have more public beef than Kendrick and Drake

Hinchcliffe made reference to Will Ferrells cameo at the comedy show in character as his Anchorman persona Ron Burgundy, who in the 2004 film said, Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego, which of course in German means "a whales vagina."

A whales vagina, which reminds me, Kim Kardashians here - shes had a lot of black Men celebrate in her end zone, Hinchcliffe said. 

Kim, word of advice, close your legs, you have more public beef than Kendrick and Drake.

The camera then panned to Kardashian who smiled and nodded, as the surrounding audience members laughed. 

Throughout his career, Hinchcliffe’s comedy focuses on observational humor, satire, and roasts. Hes become known for his unapologetic style which may not be to everyones taste. 

But it is that style which was on display on Sunday night with Hinchcliffe once again stirring controversy, but also likely making thousands of new fans in the process.