In response to a speaker’s racists comments at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” rapper and pop star Bad Bunny shared a powerful video on Tuesday celebrating Puerto Rican culture.
Captioned “garbage” as a direct reference to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s remarks, the video interweaves clips of Vice President Kamala Harris affirming her support for Puerto Rico.
Here’s the video from Bad Bunny’s IG:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBtmbHquuhb/?hl=en
In one part of the visual, Harris voices her frustration with Trump’s response to Hurricane Maria’s devastation in 2017. “I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader,” she states. “He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults.” Her words underscore the island’s hardship following the hurricane, which claimed thousands of lives.
To kick of the visual it authentically begins with a message in Spanish, indicating that it was originally used as an introduction to Bad Bunny’s “P FKN R” concert in December 2021. This eight-minute visual tribute to Puerto Rico highlights the island’s history, culture, and prominent figures, set to inspirational music. Featured in the montage are icons like baseball star Roberto Clemente, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“We are kings, champions, queens. We are legends,” says the narrator, celebrating the resilience and achievements of Puerto Ricans.
The visual ends with images of Bad Bunny himself, whose full name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, accompanied by a final message: “He’s not just the best these days for being Bad Bunny, but for being Benito. For being Puerto Rican.”