Puerto Rican superstars Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin showed strong support for Kamala Harris on Sunday, as a comedian at a Donald Trump rally made offensive comments about Puerto Rico. Reggaeton icon Bad Bunny, known officially as Benito Antonio MartÃnez Ocasio, shared a video of Harris to his massive Instagram following, giving her campaign a boost among Latino and Puerto Rican voters.
Bad Bunny’s show of support came shortly after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, performing at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, referred to Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage" and made disparaging remarks about Latinos. The comments, swiftly criticized by the Harris-Walz campaign, sparked outrage on social media. Ricky Martin responded by sharing a post with his 18 million followers, writing, “This is what they think of us. Vote for @kamalaharris.”
In response, Trump campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez issued a statement distancing the campaign from the comedian’s remarks, stating they “do not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Several other Latino celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, have also voiced support for Harris. Known for his activism, Bad Bunny has been vocal on issues affecting Puerto Rico, even putting up billboards in the territory to challenge the pro-statehood New Progressive Party and criticize its power grid, which was severely impacted by Hurricane Maria.
The video shared by Bad Bunny features Harris emphasizing the stakes of the upcoming election for Puerto Ricans, saying, “I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and competent leader.”
With the Harris campaign working hard to engage Puerto Rican voters, a significant demographic in key states like Pennsylvania, Harris visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia on Sunday, where she outlined plans for an “economic opportunity taskforce” focused on Puerto Rico. Harris also discussed her intentions to revamp the island’s power grid and to expedite disaster relief funding.
The Trump administration’s past handling of Puerto Rican relief efforts has been a contentious issue. Trump’s response after Hurricane Maria included tossing paper towels to a crowd and later delaying aid, with $13 billion released just before the 2020 election. The federal watchdog reported interference in the investigation on aid delays, further fueling criticism.
In a final show of support, Bad Bunny shared a clip of Harris stating Trump "abandoned the island, tried to block aid after devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults." A representative for Bad Bunny confirmed his endorsement of Harris, underscoring the star's commitment to the cause.
No comments:
Post a Comment