Reggaetón artist Nicky Jam withdraws support for Trump after his Puerto Rico joke
WASHINGTON ― Nicky Jam, a prominent reggaetón musician from Puerto Rico, announced on Wednesday that he will no longer support Donald Trump in the upcoming election. His decision follows a controversial joke made by a comedian at Trump’s rally in New York, who referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
In an Instagram video, Jam explained that he originally supported Trump about a month ago, believing he would positively impact the economy.
“I never thought I would find myself in a position where, a month later, a comedian would come and insult my country like this,” Jam said in Spanish while sitting in a car. “Because of that, I am retracting my support for Trump and will distance myself from political involvement. Puerto Rico deserves respect.”
Born Nick Rivera Caminero, Jam did not specify whether he intends to support Kamala Harris or any other candidate in the upcoming 2024 election. He had previously endorsed Trump in September, appearing alongside him at a campaign event in Las Vegas wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat.
Notably, during the same rally, Trump mistakenly referred to Jam using the wrong gender. “Latin music superstar Nicky Jam. Do you know Nicky? She’s hot,” Trump said.
Various Puerto Rican celebrities, including Grammy winners Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin, and Jennifer Lopez, criticized the comedian’s “garbage” comment. The remark was made by Tony Hinchcliffe, who is known as Kill Tony, who not only called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” but also made inappropriate jokes about Latino and Black individuals.
Puerto Ricans represent a significant and growing demographic in Pennsylvania, a state with 19 electoral votes — the highest among the seven battleground states. The comedian’s insult has sparked outrage in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which has a Latino population exceeding 50% and is the state’s third-largest city.
The Trump campaign has attempted to distance itself from Hinchcliffe’s remarks, stating that they “do not represent the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
