Reggaeton superstar Nicky Jam withdraws Trump endorsement over Madison Square Garden rally: ‘Puerto Rico should be respected’
By Elizabeth Wagmeister and Priscilla Alvarez, CNN
(CNN) — Latin superstar Nicky Jam on Wednesday said he’s withdrawing his endorsement of former President Donald Trump, one month after appearing onstage with Trump while donning a MAGA hat.
The reggaeton artist, speaking in Spanish, posted to his 43.5 million followers on Instagram that he was withdrawing his Trump endorsement because of the recent comments made by a comedian about Puerto Rico at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.
“The reason I supported Donald Trump was because I thought he was the best for the economy in the United States where a lot of Latinos live, a lot of immigrants who are suffering because of the economy,” Nicky Jam – whose birth name is Nick Rivera Caminero – said in a video.
“Never in my life did I think, that one month later there would be a comedian who would criticize my country and speak poorly of my country,” he continued. “And for that I withdraw my support of Donald Trump. Puerto Rico should be respected.”
CNN has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
In September, the star appeared onstage at a Las Vegas rally with Trump, wearing a red Make America Great Again hat.
At that appearance, Trump awkwardly introduced the singer, perhaps not knowing who he was, calling him to the stage by saying, “She’s hot.” The Harris campaign seized on that moment, posting, “Nicky Jam is a man.”
Nicky Jam is the latest Puerto Rican star to denounce the Trump campaign after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at Trump’s Sunday night rally. The Trump campaign has sought to distance itself from Hinchcliffe, with Trump campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez saying in a statement after the rally, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Since then, Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez have all publicly posted support for Kamala Harris.
Bad Bunny – one of the biggest Latin music stars in the world – is rarely political, but he weighed in on social media moments after Hinchcliffe’s comments, signaling support for Harris on Sunday, sharing a clip of the vice president’s plans for the island.
On Sunday, “Despacito” singer Luis Fonsi also joined the chorus of Puerto Rican stars sharing their support for Harris, posting a video clip of Hinchcliffe’s joke at the Trump rally with the caption, “Are you serious?” to his 16 million Instagram followers. “It’s ok to have different views, and I respect those who think different than me…but going down this racist path ain’t it,” Fonsi posted on his Instagram story, along with emojis that signaled he is voting for Harris.
Lopez has been continuously posting her support for Harris and Puerto Rico since Sunday. “LET’S GET LOUD. Make your voice heard in ONE WEEK. VOTE Nov 5th. Born in the USA. Puerto Rico,” Lopez posted.
On Thursday night, Lopez will speak at a rally with Harris, becoming one of the biggest A-listers to appear alongside the vice president in the final stretch of the campaign, just days before the election.
The-CNN-Wire
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