NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Nicky Jam has withdrawn his endorsement of Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election a month after appearing at a rally for the candidate.
Tony Hinchcliffe, who called Puerto Rico 鈥済arbage鈥 before appears to be the catalyst.
鈥淭he reason why I supported Donald Trump was because I thought he was the best for the economy in the United States, where many Latinos live, many of us Latinos live, myself included, many immigrants who are suffering because of the economy and him, being a businessman, I thought it was the best move,鈥 Jam said in Spanish, in a video statement posted to his official Instagram page.
鈥淣ever in my life did I think that a month later a comedian was going to come and speak badly of my country and therefore, I renounce any support for Donald Trump, and I sidestep any political situation. Respect Puerto Rico, Nicky Jam.鈥
Representatives for Jam did not immediately respond to the Associated Press鈥 request for comment.
Puerto Ricans cannot vote in general elections despite being U.S. citizens, but they can exert a powerful influence with relatives on the mainland.
The effects of Hinchcliffe's remarks are felt on the island and elsewhere: One of the biggest artists on the planet, the Grammy-award winning Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, behind Vice President Kamala Harris, shortly afterward.
Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Mart铆nez, shared a video to his Instagram account Tuesday detailing the origins of Puerto Rico and its inhabitants' prominence in politics, sports and entertainment. The caption read: 鈥済arbage.鈥
鈥淲e have been fighting since day one of our existence, we are the definition of heart and resistance,鈥 he wrote in Spanish. "Here we stand, here we are, and for those who forget who we are... don鈥檛 worry, we proudly remind you.鈥
Actor Aubrey Plaza addressed the remarks at the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards on Tuesday night, saying her grandmother, if alive, would respond profanely to Hinchcliffe's characterization of Puerto Rico.
鈥淚 just wanted to very quickly respond to the racist joke that was made at that Trump rally about Puerto Rico, where most of my family is from,鈥 Plaza told attendees. 鈥淭hankfully, my sweet abuelita wasn鈥檛 here to hear that disgusting remark.鈥
Ricky Martin, who had previously endorsed Harris, was also offended by the comment and said 鈥渢hat鈥檚 what they think of us,鈥 on Instagram.
A representative for another famous Puerto Rican star who endorsed Trump last month, said he was on tour and unable to comment on Hinchcliffe's remarks.
known for songs such as 鈥淭ravesuras,鈥 鈥淰oy a Beber鈥 and expressed his support for Trump last month , where Trump seemed to mistake him for a woman. 鈥淟atin Music superstar Nicky Jam! Do you know Nicky, she鈥檚 hot. Where鈥檚 Nicky?鈥 he said.
As a result, the has removed its 2016 song with Nicky Jam, 鈥淒e pies a cabeza,鈥 from online platforms. 鈥淢an谩 does not work with racists,鈥 the group said in an Instagram post explaining the decision.
Man谩 is rallying with Harris in Las Vegas on Thursday.
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Berenice Bautista in Mexico City and Adriana Gomez Licon in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, contributed to this report.
