Musician Bad Bunny threw his support behind Vice President Harris on Sunday by sharing a video of the Democratic presidential nominee shortly after a comedian at President Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally made crude jokes about Latinos and called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” angering artists and some Hispanic Republicans.

Bad Bunny, whose official name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is one of the most famous artists of the moment. His backing could be a boost for the Harris campaign as it tries to bolster its support with Latino voters, among whom Trump has been working to gain ground.

The video Bad Bunny shared with his 45 million Instagram followers shows Ms. Harris saying “there’s so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico.” A representative of the artist confirmed that Bad Bunny is supporting Ms. Harris.

Bad Bunny signaled his support moments after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made the remarks on Puerto Rico. Later, Mr. Hinchcliffe said “these Latinos, they love making babies” and said they don’t use the pull-out birth control method.

The comments on Puerto Rico were immediately criticized by Ms. Harris’s campaign, but were also called out by the head of the GOP on the island, Angel Cintron, and Representative Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican who represents parts of Miami and has participated in recent Trump events.

Ms. Salazar wrote: “Disgusted by “@TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values. Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Educate yourself!”

A Trump campaign spokeswoman, Danielle Alvarez, in a statement said “this joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

A Puerto Rican artist, Luis Fonsi, who sings the hit “Despacito,” went on Instagram and wrote “going down this racist path ain’t it.”

“We are not OK with this constant hate,” he wrote in a message shared on Instagram. “It’s been abundantly clear that these people have no respect for us.”

Ricky Martin, who had previously endorsed Ms. Harris, was also offended by the comment and said “that’s what they think of us,” on Instagram.

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton artist, who has popular songs such as “Dakiti” and “Titi Me Preguntó,” has won three Grammy Awards. 

He was the most streamed artist on Spotify in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and was only surpassed by Taylor Swift in 2023. He was named Artist of the Year by Apple Music in 2022.

The Puerto Rican vote is sizable in Pennsylvania, which is arguably the hardest fought of the swing states in the 2024 election. 

Other Puerto Rican singers such as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony had already expressed support for Ms. Harris. 

Trump has also attracted support from other popular stars from the island such as Anuel AA and Nicky Jam.

Associated Press