Latin American superstar and Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny made waves on Sunday (October 27) by openly endorsing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and sharing a video from a Trump rally, sparking public uproar.
The video Bad Bunny shared featured comedian Tony Hinchcliffe telling a joke at the Trump rally. In the video, Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating garbage island” at Madison Square Garden in New York, making controversial remarks about Latinx people.
Following Hinchcliffe’s comments about Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny publicly voiced support for Clinton. He shared another clip of Clinton in Puerto Rico with his 45 million Instagram followers. In the video, Clinton emphasized the significance of this election for Puerto Rican voters and the island itself.
“I will never forget what Donald Trump did or did not do when Puerto Rico needed a compassionate, capable leader,” Clinton said.
After Hinchcliffe’s joke went public, it drew criticism from Clinton’s campaign team. Additionally, Puerto Rico’s Republican chairman Angel Cintron and Republican congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, who represents parts of Miami, were also called out for their involvement.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has won three Grammy Awards and his songs have topped Spotify’s charts in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
In response, Republican congresswoman Salazar took to social media, expressing her disgust with Tony Hinchcliffe’s racially-charged remarks calling Puerto Rico a “floating garbage island.” She emphasized that such remarks do not reflect Republican values, highlighting Puerto Rico’s contributions in Vietnam and the respect they deserve.
Trump’s campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez stated in a released statement, “This joke does not represent President Trump or the campaign team’s viewpoint.”