close
close

Reggaeton Superstar Nicky Jam Withdraws Trump Support Over Madison Square Garden Rally: 'Puerto Rico Should Be Respected'



CNN

Latin superstar Nicky Jam said Wednesday he is withdrawing his support for former President Donald Trump, a month after he appeared on stage with Trump and donned a MAGA hat.

The reggaeton artist told his 43.5 million followers on Instagram that he was withdrawing his support for Trump due to recent comments made by a comedian speaking in Spanish about Puerto Rico at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally.

“The reason I supported Donald Trump was because I thought he was the best thing for the economy in the United States, where there are a lot of Latinos, a lot of immigrants who are suffering from the economy,” said Nicky Jam – her birth name Nick is Rivera Caminero – said in a video.

“Never in my life did I think that a month later there would be a comedian criticizing my country and speaking badly about my country,” he continued. “And for that I am withdrawing my support from Donald Trump. Puerto Rico should be respected.”

CNN has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.

In September, the star appeared on stage with Trump at a Las Vegas rally wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat.

At that appearance, Trump awkwardly introduced the singer, perhaps without knowing who he was, and called him to the stage, saying, “She's hot.” The Harris campaign seized on the 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 trash” at Trump's rally on Sunday night. The Trump campaign has sought to distance itself from Hinchcliffe, with Trump campaign spokeswoman 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 expressed their support for Kamala Harris.

Bad Bunny – one of the world's biggest Latin music stars – is rarely political but spoke out on social media shortly after Hinchcliffe's comments, signaling his support for Harris on Sunday and sharing a clip of the vice president's plans for the island.

On Sunday, “Despacito” singer Luis Fonsi joined the chorus of Puerto Rican stars expressing their support for Harris by sharing a video clip of Hinchcliffe’s joke at the Trump rally with the caption “Are you serious ?” published. to his 16 million Instagram followers. “It's okay to have different views and I respect those who think differently than me… but going down this racist path is not,” Fonsi posted on his Instagram Story along with emojis signaling that he votes for Harris.

Since Sunday, Lopez has been posting nonstop her support for Harris and Puerto Rico. “Let’s get loud. Make your voice heard in ONE WEEK. VOTE November 5th. Born in the USA. Puerto Rico,” Lopez wrote.

On Thursday evening, 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.