CNN
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In September, Latin music superstar Nicky Jam appeared on stage with Donald Trump. A reggaeton singer wearing a red MAGA hat said he supports the former president at a rally in Las Vegas.
On Tuesday, he withdrew his support and joined a chorus of prominent Puerto Ricans condemning the comedian’s comments attacking the U.S. island nation at Trump’s New York City rally earlier this week.
“Puerto Rico deserves to be respected,” Nicky Jam told her 43 million Instagram followers.
Although Mr. Jam did not endorse Mr. Harris in his post, he did include Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, reggaeton star Don Omar, “Despacito” singer Luis Fonsi, and global superstar Bad Bunny is among the Puerto Rican celebrities who have shown support for Harris. Vice President or her platform from Sunday. Mr. Lopez also attended a rally with Mr. Harris in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Harris campaign officials had always planned a star-studded event at the presidential campaign’s home turf. But with voting already underway, the influx of Latino artists criticizing Trump and supporting Harris was a surprise in October that the campaign didn’t expect.
Combined, these stars have 390 million followers around the world on Instagram alone, which is more than the population of the United States.
Experts say that in an extremely close race, both sides are wooing Puerto Ricans, especially among demographics where polls show Trump closing the gap with Harris, a Latino man. Celebrity endorsements can make a big difference at a time when people are competing for them, he said. He will be voting in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, which has a large percentage of Latino voters.
The Trump campaign has sought to distance itself from Hinchcliffe, with campaign spokesperson Daniel Alvarez saying in a statement after the rally: “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or his campaign.”
According to campaign sources, the support from Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio) came as a surprise to the Harris campaign.
Harris campaign officials have been consulting with Bad Bunny’s team and were cautiously optimistic that she would support the vice president’s Puerto Rico plan, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. He said he did not expect him to express his opinion. The media aired a video of Harris’ island plan.
Bad Bunny doesn’t usually comment on politics. A representative for the star athlete told CNN that reposting Harris’ video on Instagram was “not an endorsement,” but that he “supports” the vice president because “Mr. Benito’s political focus has always been on Puerto Rico.” ” he said.
Another person familiar with the campaign’s Hollywood efforts said his influence with young Latino male voters led to him being wooed by Bad Bunny. The endorsement had been at the top of the Harris campaign’s wish list for several months, she said.
“They are cultural examiners,” said a source close to the campaign, adding that the work of Latinx artists will be featured in Spanish media and spark discussion among the Latinx community.
Another official said the endorsement of Harris by prominent Latinos is another way for the campaign to gain traction among Latinos, even as polls suggest a decline in enthusiasm. He said there is.
Matt Barreto, a Harris pollster who focuses on Latino voters, argued that the endorsement will help mobilize voters.
“Celebrities, influencers, celebrities of any kind have the ability to attract attention and command attention,” Barreto said. “That in itself is a big plus. They’re recognized. They’re trusted to a certain extent.”
While only celebrities get attention because of their name recognition, Barrett argued that voters need a reason to listen to them. That’s one reason Sunday’s inflammatory comments about Puerto Rico snowballed into Latinos across the country, he said.
“This was completely natural and just amplified what the average person on the street was feeling,” he said.
“This is a very unique moment that will be talked about for a long time after the campaign and after the election. It’s much more powerful than the Latinx community, and in every community, celebrities and influencers and ordinary people “If they all react similarly in real time to such an attack, that’s very powerful,” he added.
Hollywood political strategists who have worked with many celebrities during this election cycle agree that authenticity is important and evolving, especially when it comes to celebrity reach.
“Years ago, celebrities took the approach that the more the better. That’s not the case. You have to have the right people in the right places, the right issues and the right messages to people. ” said the strategist. “Followers need to believe it.”
Hollywood influence has been in the spotlight ever since Harris’ campaign began with Charli XCX’s lime green seal of approval.
The support of British pop star “Kamala IS Brat” propelled Harris into Gen Z territory right from the start of her campaign this summer, legitimizing her candidacy among legions of young voters and vying for vice president. turned into a pop culture meme icon.
Charli XCX’s endorsement came as a surprise to the Harris campaign, which flooded TikTok with lime green and coconut tree emojis and music from fellow Gen Z pop star Chapel Lawn to appeal to younger voters.
Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris in September, right after the presidential debate, also came as a surprise to the vice president’s camp. Both Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump quickly pounced on Swifty’s fan base, demonstrating the pop superstar’s immense influence. The Harris campaign created a Harris-Waltz friendship bracelet inspired by the singer, and the Trump campaign released a T-shirt inspired by the Elas tour.
As Election Day approaches, the Harris campaign is throwing in more A-listers to get people to vote, including a much-anticipated appearance by Beyoncé last week.
“We’re going to utilize every tool at our disposal,” a senior campaign official previously told CNN.
Trump later mocked his opponent for having a “dance party with Beyoncé,” suggesting Harris was more focused on celebrities than ordinary Americans.
But the former president is also seeking celebrity support during this critical time. On Wednesday night, Hall of Fame Packers quarterback Brett Favre returned to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to attend President Trump’s latest rally. Television psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw spoke at President Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday, as did tech mogul Elon Musk.
As CNN previously reported, a recent Harvard University study found that celebrity endorsements play an influential role in promoting civic engagement.
Various stars have recently announced their support as voters go to the polls. Some people are predictable, like Oscar winner and longtime environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio, who spoke about Harris’ commitment to climate change and said Trump “continues to deny the facts.” There is. Some are more surprising, like former California Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who called President Trump “unpatriotic” and expressed support for Harris.
“I’m not really an advocate. I’m not shy about sharing my opinions, but I hate politics and don’t trust most politicians.” Schwarzenegger wrote to X on Wednesday. “Before I became a Republican, I will always be an American.”
Representatives for Schwarzenegger did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on whether his post was spontaneous or coordinated with the Harris campaign.
One celebrity spokesperson told CNN that, as in the past two elections, many left-wing clients are being driven to take a stand against Trump rather than show support for another candidate. he said.
“A lot of that has been driven by Mr. Trump. At the end of the day, do you want Trump to be president? That’s very encouraging,” the spokesperson said. “The Trump phenomenon is much more powerful as an organizer than anything else.”
But on the other side of the aisle, more celebrities than ever are supporting President Trump.
His longtime Hollywood fans include Jon Voight, Kelsey Grammer and Roseanne Barr, while country singers like Jason Aldean and John Rich have also supported him. But this year, actors such as Dennis Quaid, Zachary Levi, and Mel Gibson, as well as athletes such as Mike Tyson, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, and astronaut Buzz Aldrin, are playing Trump. He publicly supports the president.
Trump is unique in his multifaceted approach to celebrity, targeting hugely popular social media stars and podcasters, who arguably have more influence than most Hollywood celebrities. The hour-and-a-half livestream with 24-year-old gamer Adin Roth garnered millions of more eyes than traditional news networks. So is his recent conversation with podcaster Joe Rogan, which currently has more than 40 million views.
“I don’t want to over-index on celebrities, but in very close elections in certain states and districts where you win by fewer than 500 voters, you want to play all your cards,” Hollywood said. political strategist said.
