The ugly aftermath of Donald Trump’s recent rally at Madison Square Garden has continued to escalate, following offensive remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage.” Now, one of Trump’s high-profile Latino supporters, reggaeton artist Nicky Jam, has withdrawn his endorsement.
Latin music super star Nicky Jam, whose real name is Nick Rivera Caminero, recently shared a video on Instagram where he expressed disappointment with Trump, saying, “Puerto Rico deserves respect.” Speaking in Spanish, Jam explained that he initially endorsed Trump because he believed the former president’s economic approach would benefit Latinos in the U.S. “A lot of immigrants are suffering over the state of the economy — [Trump] being a businessman, I felt it was the right move,” he told his 43 million followers.
Get this, Jam stated that he “never in his life” expected that “a comedian would appear to criticize and talk badly about my [Puerto Rico].” Just last month, the musician had appeared on stage with Trump at a rally in Las Vegas. The event gained attention when Trump mistakenly referred to Jam as a woman, saying, “Latin music superstar Nicky Jam. Do you know Nicky? She’s hot.” Trump only corrected himself after Jam joined him on stage, wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat.
Hinchcliffe’s disparaging comments have sparked widespread backlash, with several influential Puerto Rican artists, including Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, and Ricky Martin, openly supporting Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Lopez is scheduled to appear with Harris at a rally in Las Vegas later this week.
With Election Day fast literally around the corner, these remarks may have significant implications, especially in key swing states like Pennsylvania, where nearly half a million residents are of Puerto Rican descent, according to U.S. census data.
In an attempt to contain the massive fallout, Trump held a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a predominantly Latino city. However, during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, he minimized the controversy, suggesting the remarks were not a “big deal.”
What ya’ll think about Nicky Jam pulling back his endorsement, too little too late or nah?
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