Singer Nicky Jam has walked back his previous endorsement of former President Donald Trump after a comedian insulted Puerto Rico at a Trump rally on Sunday.
In a Spanish-language video posted Wednesday, the musician admitted to initially supporting Trump for economic reasons but said he now “renounces” his endorsement.
“The reason that I supported Donald Trump was because I thought he was best for the economy,” the singer said, according to a HuffPost translation from Spanish to English. “In the United States, where a lot of Latinos live, including myself, many immigrants are suffering because of the economy, and I thought him being a businessman was the best move.”
He then referred to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s remarks at Trump’s racist Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday. Hinchcliffe had referred to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
“Never in my life did I think that, a month later, a comedian would come and criticize my country, speak badly about [Puerto Rico],” said the singer, who is of Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage.
“Therefore, I renounce any support for Donald Trump, and I step aside from any political situation. Puerto Rico is to be respected,” Nicky Jam concluded.
The reggaeton star’s recent pivot comes after Trump misgendered him at a rally in Las Vegas in September before he came up onstage in a MAGA hat to shake the former president’s hand.
“Latin music superstar Nicky Jam,” Trump said. “You know Nicky? She’s hot. Where is Nicky? Where is Nicky? Thank you, Nicky. Great to be having you here.”
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The singer did not publicly address Trump’s mistake. However, he did receive backlash for supporting Trump, particularly from Mexican band Maná and its frontman, Fher Olvera, according to Rolling Stone.
Nicky Jam and Maná had previously collaborated on the song “De Pies a Cabeza,” but Maná removed the song from streaming services after Nicky Jam’s endorsement of Trump.
In response to the recent news, Olvera told Rolling Stone, “It’s never too late to change your mind. There’s still time to do the right thing. This is about exercising our Latino power. Go out and vote for our rights.”