CNN
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In September, Latin superstar Nicky Jam appeared on stage with Donald Trump. Wearing a red MAGA hat, the reggaeton singer told a rally in Las Vegas that he supported the former president.
He has on Tuesday withdrew his approval – joining a chorus of famous Puerto Ricans who have condemned comments made by a comedian during Trump’s rally earlier this week in New York City, during which the American island territory was attacked.
“Puerto Rico must be respected,” Nicky Jam told his 43 million Instagram followers.
Although Jam did not endorse Harris in his post, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, reggaeton star Don Omar, “Despacito” singer Luis Fonsi and global superstar Bad Bunny are among the celebrities of Puerto Rican descent who have expressed support for the vice president or her platform since Sunday. Lopez will also participate in a rally in Las Vegas alongside Harris on Thursday.
Harris campaign officials had always planned star-studded events in the run-up to the presidential election. But the influx of Latino artists denouncing Trump and standing up for Harris as voting is underway is the October surprise that the campaign didn’t see coming.
Together, these stars have 390 million followers worldwide on Instagram alone – more than the US population.
In a razor-thin race, celebrity support could be the deciding factor, experts say, especially among a demographic where polls have shown Trump is closing the gap with Harris – Latino men – and especially at a time when both campaigns are competing for the Puerto Rican vote on the Pennsylvania battlefield, where a significant portion of Latino voters.
The Trump campaign has attempted to distance itself from Hinchcliffe, with campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez saying in a statement after the meeting: “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
The support from Bad Bunny – born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – came as a surprise to the Harris team, according to a campaign official.
Harris campaign officials had been in talks with Bad Bunny’s team and were cautiously optimistic that he would support the vice president’s plans for Puerto Rico, according to a source familiar with the discussions. media a video of Harris’ plans for the island.
Bad Bunny has generally not spoken out on politics. A rep for the star told CNN that his repost of Harris’ video on Instagram was “not an endorsement” but that he was “supporting” the vice president because “Benito’s political focus has always been on Puerto Rico.”
For months, an endorsement of Bad Bunny was at the top of the Harris campaign’s wish list because of his influence with young male Latino voters, according to another source familiar with the campaign’s Hollywood reach.
“They are cultural validators,” said a source close to the campaign, adding that actions by Latino artists receive attention in the Spanish media and help open discussions within the Latino community.
Another source described Latino celebrities advocating for Harris as another way to boost the campaign’s momentum among Latinos at a time when polls show waning enthusiasm.
Harris researcher Matt Barreto, who focuses on Latino voters, argued that endorsements can help mobilize voters.
“Any celebrity, influencer or famous person has the ability to grab attention and grab attention,” Barreto said. “That in itself is a big positive. These are people who are recognized. To some extent they are trusted.”
While only celebrities get attention for name recognition, Barreto argued that voters need a reason to listen to them. That, he said, is one reason why Sunday’s inflammatory comments about Puerto Rico have resulted in a snowball effect that has reached Latinos across the country.
“This was all natural and it helped reinforce 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 elections. It’s so much more powerful than the Latino community and, in any community, when you have celebrities, influencers and everyday people all reacting the same way in real time to such an offense,” he added.
A Hollywood political strategist who has worked with many A-listers this election cycle agrees that authenticity is crucial, especially as celebrity reach evolves.
“A few years ago, celebrities took the ‘more is more’ approach. That’s not it. You have to focus on the right people in the right places and aligning people on the right issues and the right message,” the strategist said. “Followers have to believe it.”
Since Harris’ campaign kicked off with Charli XCX’s lime green stamp of approval, Hollywood’s influence has been in the spotlight.
The British pop star’s “kamala IS brat.” recommendation catapulted Harris into Gen Z territory at the start of her campaign this summer, validating her candidacy among legions of young voters and turning the vice president into a pop culture meme icon.
Charli XCX’s endorsement came as a surprise to the Harris campaign, but it leaned heavily on it. flood of TikTok with lime green, coconut tree emojis and music from another Gen Z pop star, Chappell Roan, in an effort to reach younger voters.
Taylor Swift’s Approval September from Harris, just after the presidential debate, also came as a surprise to the vice president’s campaign. Both Harris and Trump quickly jumped on the “Swiftie” fan base, spotlighting the pop superstar’s immense reach: The Harris campaign created Harris-Walz friendship bracelets inspired by the singer, while the Trump campaign on Eras Tour inspired T-shirts.
As Election Day approaches, the Harris campaign is bringing in more A-listers to mobilize people to vote, including a highly anticipated appearance by Beyoncé last week.
“We will use all the tools 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 everyday Americans.
But the former president is also calling on celebrity support at this critical time. On Wednesday evening, Hall of Fame Packers quarterback Brett Favre returned to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to participate in Trump’s final rally. TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw delivered remarks at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, as did tech mogul Elon Musk.
As CNN previously reported: a recent Harvard study found that celebrity endorsement plays an influential role in promoting civic participation.
As voters head to the polls, a wide range of stars have recently shown their support. Some were predictable, like Oscar winner and former environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio, who spoke about Harris’ commitment to climate change and said that Trump “continues to deny the facts.” Others were more surprising, such as Arnold Schwarzeneggerthe former Republican governor of California, who announced his support for Harris and called Trump “unpatriotic.”
“I don’t really make recommendations. I am not shy about sharing my opinions, but I hate politics and don’t trust most politicians,” Schwarzenegger wrote on X on Wednesday. “I will always be an American before I am a Republican.”
Representatives for Schwarzenegger did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on whether his post came about organically or was done in coordination with the Harris campaign.
A celebrity publicist told CNN that, as in the past two elections, many of his left-wing clients are driven to take a stand against Trump, even more so than to express support for any other candidate.
“A lot of it has been driven by Trump. When it comes down to it, do you all want Trump to be president or not? That is very motivating,” said the publicist. “The Trump phenomenon is much more powerful as an organizer than most things.”
But across the aisle, Trump has more public celebrity supporters than ever before.
His old Hollywood fans include Jon Voight, Kelsey Grammer and Roseanne Barr, and country singers like Jason Aldean and John Rich also support him. But this year, actors including Dennis Quaid, Zachary Levi and Mel Gibson have publicly endorsed Trump, as have athletes like Mike Tyson and Kansas City Chiefs Kicker. Harrison Butkerand astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
Trump has been unique in his multi-pronged approach to celebrity, targeting hugely popular social media stars and podcasters, who arguably wield more influence than most Hollywood celebrities. His hour-and-a-half livestream with 24-year-old gamer Adin Ross attracted millions more attention than any traditional news network, as did his recent conversation with podcaster Joe Rogan, which currently has more than 40 million views.
“I wouldn’t over-index celebrities, but in very close elections in certain states and districts where the election will be won by fewer than 500 voters, you want to play all your cards,” the Hollywood political strategist said.