Puerto Rican artist Nicky Jam takes back his Trump endorsement

Reggaeton prima Nicky Jam connected Wednesday revoked his endorsement of Donald Trump aft a comedian called Puerto Rico "a floating land of garbage" at a Madison Square Garden rally for nan erstwhile president.

Nicky Jam, who is Puerto Rican, announced to his 42 cardinal societal media followers he was rescinding his endorsement. He had endorsed Trump during a run rally successful Las Vegas successful September.

"I ne'er thought successful my life that a period later a comedian would travel on and knock my country, speak poorly of my country, truthful I renounce immoderate support for Donald Trump," he said successful Spanish successful an Instagram post.

Why did Nicky Jam endorse Trump?

In his Instagram video connected Wednesday, Nicky Jam explained that he had endorsed Trump "because I thought that was nan champion for nan system successful nan U.S., wherever galore Latinos live, including myself, wherever galore immigrants are suffering because of nan economy, and him being a businessman I thought that was nan champion move."

His September endorsement came arsenic portion of a coordinated effort by nan Trump campaign to link pinch salient Puerto Rican voices successful nan civilization arsenic a measurement to tribunal a organization that could beryllium decisive successful November. 

Even if Trump proved unfamiliar pinch nan artists nan run was courting — "Do you cognize Nicky? She's hot!" Trump said astatine his rally earlier Nicky Jam came connected shape — nan creator joined nan erstwhile president astatine nan mic and told nan crowd, "We request Donald Trump arsenic president again."

Former President Donald Trump appears connected shape pinch signaling creator Nicky Jam during a run rally successful Las Vegas connected Sept. 13, 2024. / Getty Images

The endorsement sparked an contiguous backlash connected societal media among fans and chap Latino artists who were some upset by nan endorsement and who felt nan creator had been insulted by Trump. Among those who criticized nan creator was Mana, a Mexican stone set that removed a 2016 opus pinch Nicky Jam and said successful a societal media station that it "does not activity pinch racists." Nicky Jam yet took down his endorsement from Instagram. 

Sunday's "garbage" remark by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe astatine nan Trump rally drew outrage among a cardinal voting group conscionable days earlier Election Day. 

Among nan celebrities who weighed successful were Jennifer Lopez, Ariana DeBose and Ricky Martin. Martin, pinch complete 18 cardinal followers, took to Instagram and posted, "Puerto Rico, this is what they deliberation of us, ballot for Kamala Harris." 

Trump responded to questions astir it connected Tuesday by saying he did not cognize who Hinchcliffe was and was unaware of nan joke he had made. "It's nobody's fault, but personification said immoderate bad things," he told Fox News' Sean Hannity. "I don't cognize if it's a large woody aliases not, but I don't want anybody making nasty jokes aliases stupid jokes. Probably he shouldn't person been there," Trump added. 

Trump made 2 stops successful Pennsylvania Tuesday pinch a attraction connected nan Latino vote. Although he said astir nan Puerto Rican community, he did not straight reside Hinchcliffe's comments. "I'm truthful proud we're getting support from Latinos for illustration ne'er before," Trump said astatine a rally astatine nan PPL Center successful Allentown. "Nobody loves our Latino and our Puerto Rican organization much than I do."

Pennsylvania is location to complete 579,000 eligible Latino voters, according to nan UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute

On Sunday, nan aforesaid time arsenic nan Trump rally successful New York, Harris posted a video connected her societal media platforms pledging to create a Puerto Rico task unit focused connected creating jobs, cutting reddish portion connected disaster betterment funds, and moving pinch leaders crossed nan land to guarantee reliable and affordable electricity. 

Reggaeton musician and vocalist Bad Bunny, a global superstar from Puerto Rico, shared nan vice president's video connected his Instagram relationship pinch his 45 cardinal followers, and later posted a clipped information of nan video successful which Harris slammed Trump for his consequence to Hurricane Maria, which devastated nan land successful 2017. 

A root adjacent to Bad Bunny confirmed to CBS News that nan Instagram station represented an endorsement of nan vice president, breaking from Bad Bunny's anterior contented of not weighing successful connected nationalist politics. 

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• Donald Trump
• Puerto Rico