Nicky Jam Retracts Trump Endorsement Following Puerto Rico Controversy

Puerto Rican reggaeton star Nicky Jam reversed his support of Donald Trump on Wednesday, telling followers he can no longer stand by the Republican nominee following racist remarks made by Tony Hinchcliffe at a rally last weekend.

“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, myself included… a lot of immigrants that are suffering over the state of the economy,” Jam said in Spanish. “With [Trump] being a businessman, I felt it was the right move.”

Jam had previously appeared at a Trump rally himself, where he was introduced (and misgendered) by the Republican nominee who told the crowd he was announcing the endorsement of “Latin music superstar Nicky Jam” and said, “do you know Nicky? She’s hot!” Onstage, the musician posed for photos alongside Trump.

In his video Wednesday, Jam went on to say that “never in his life” did he expect that “a comedian would appear to criticize and talk badly about my [Puerto Rico].”

He added, “That’s why I’m renouncing my support for Donald Trump and stepping away from any political conversation. Puerto Rico deserves respect.”

Hinchcliffe, a podcaster and comedian, made several racist comments at a Trump rally on Sunday, including when he told the crowd, “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

Many prominent Puerto Rican stars have criticized the comments, including Aubrey Plaza, Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin.

“Thankfully, my sweet abuelita wasn’t here to hear that disgusting remark,” Plaza said on Tuesday, according to video from the event. “But if she was alive today, I think she would say, ‘Tony Hinchcliffe, go fuck yourself.’ And yes, The Wall Street Journal can quote me on that.”