Nicky Jam retracts Donald Trump endorsement following Puerto Rico comments
The reggaeton star Nicky Jam has taken back his previous support for Donald Trump following recent remarks about Puerto Rico. At the politician’s recent rally in New York, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe spoke about Puerto Rico, and a lot of people are condemning some comments made as being racist.
In September, Jam campaigned alongside Donald Trump at his rally in Nevada, endorsing him as the next President. He took to social media to voice his disdain for some of Trump’s recent comments and retract his previous endorsement.
Jam began his post by explaining why he initially endorsed Trump. “The reason I supported Donald Trump is because I believed it was what’s best for the economy in the United States, where a lot of Latinos live… a lot of immigrants that are suffering over the state of the economy,” he said, “With [Trump] being a businessman, I felt it was the right move.”
The artist said that when he endorsed Trump, he never thought that he would take to a rally and allow a comedian to make derogatory comments about Puerto Rico. “That’s why I’m renouncing my support for Donald Trump,” he said, “And stepping away from any political conversation. Puerto Rico deserves respect.”
At his rally in New York, Donald Trump had comedian Tony Hinchcliffe join him on stage. The comic sparked controversy as he referred to Puerto Rico as “floating garbage.”
“There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” he said, “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
A number of other artists have come forward to denounce the comments, including Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, and Bad Bunny. “This is what they think of us,” wrote Ricky Martin. “Vote for @kamalaharris.”
Bad Bunny also threw his support behind Kamala Harris, as he posted a campaign video of her where she details her plans for Puerto Rico. “I will never forget what Donald Trump did,” he said, “And what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader.”
Since the comments and subsequent controversy, Trump has tried to distance himself from Hinchcliffe. “I don’t know him, someone put him up there. I don’t know who he is,” said Trump in an interview with ABC. He also insisted that he never heard Hinchcliffe’s offensive jokes, either.
The Trump campaign has also confirmed that “this joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Furthermore, Trump claimed he’d never heard of Hinchcliffe and distanced himself from the Kill Tony comedian.