A Gen Z pop star launched Harris' campaign. Puerto Rican musician can make it to the finish line




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In September, Latin music superstar Nicky Jam appeared on stage with Donald Trump. The reggaeton singer, wearing a red MAGA hat, said at a rally in Las Vegas that he was supporting the former president.

On Tuesday, he withdrew his support — joining a group of well-known Puerto Ricans who have condemned comments made by a comedian attacking the U.S. island territory at Trump's New York City rally earlier this week .

“Puerto Rico must be respected,” Nicky Jam told her 43 million Instagram followers.

While 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 Puerto Rican-born celebrities who have expressed support for him. Has shown. The Vice President or his platform from Sunday. Lopez is also attending a rally with Harris in Las Vegas on Thursday.

Harris campaign officials had always planned star-studded events during presidential campaigns. But the influx of Latino artists denouncing Trump and performing for Harris as voting has already begun is an October surprise that didn't come to the campaign.

Collectively, those stars have a combined 390 million global followers on Instagram alone – more than the US population.

Experts say that in an extremely slim race, celebrity endorsements could move the needle, especially among the demographic whose surveys show Trump closing the gap with Harris — Latino men — and Hispanics. The appearance comes at a time when both campaigns are vying for the Puerto Rican vote in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, where Latino voters make up a large share.

The Trump campaign has sought to distance itself from Hinchcliffe, with campaign spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez saying in a statement after the rally, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”

According to a campaign official, the endorsement of Bad Bunny-born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio came as a surprise to the Harris team.

According to a source familiar with the discussions, Harris campaign officials have been in talks with Bad Bunny's team and were fully optimistic that he would support the vice president's plans for Puerto Rico, but they did not expect that he would on Sunday. Will consider sharing it on your social media. The media showed a video of Harris's plans for the island.

Bad Bunny has not generally had an impact on politics. A representative for the star told CNN that his repost of Harris' video on Instagram was “not an endorsement,” but that he is “supporting” the vice president because “Benito's political focus has always been on Puerto Rico.”

Bad Bunny's endorsement was at the top of the Harris campaign's wish list for months, according to another source familiar with the campaign's Hollywood outreach, due to his influence on young male Latino voters.

“They are cultural validators,” said a source close to the campaign, adding that the works of Latino artists get coverage in Spanish media and help open discussion among the Latino community.

Another source said Latino celebrities are endorsing Harris, another way to boost the campaign among Latinos at a time when polls show enthusiasm is declining.

Harris pollster Matt Barreto, who focuses on Latino voters, argued that the endorsement could help unite voters.

“Any type of celebrity, influencer, famous person has the ability to attract attention and draw attention,” Barreto said. “This in itself is a big positive thing. These are the people who are recognized. “To some extent, they are trusted.”

While celebrities alone get attention for name recognition, Barreto argued that voters need a reason to listen to them. That's why Sunday's inflammatory comments about Puerto Rico resulted in a snowball effect that has reached Latinos across the country, he said.

“It was all natural, and it helped amplify what the average person on the road was feeling,” he said.

“This is a very unique moment that will be talked about after the campaign and for a long time after the election. It's so much more powerful than the Latino community and any community, when you have celebrities and influencers and everyday people reacting to a crime like this in real time,” he said.

A Hollywood political strategist who has been working with several A-listers this election cycle agrees that authenticity is important, especially as the reach of celebrities continues to grow.

“A few years ago, celebrities took an approach of more is more. that's not it. You have to focus on the right people in the right places and engage people with the right issues and the right message,” the strategist said. “Followers need to believe it.”

Beyonce, right, and Vice President Kamala Harris embrace at a rally in Houston on October 25, 2024.

Since Harris' campaign launched with a nod from Charli XCX, Hollywood's influence has been in the spotlight.

The British pop star's “Kamala IS brat” endorsement catapulted Harris into Gen Z territory at the start of her campaign this summer, validating her candidacy among young voters and turning the vice president into a pop culture meme icon. Went.

Charli Gave.

Taylor Swift's endorsement of Harris moments after the presidential debate in September also came as a surprise to the vice presidential campaign. Both Harris and Trump increasingly tapped into the “Swifty” fanbase, reflecting the pop superstar's vast reach: the Harris campaign created Harris-Walz friendship bracelets inspired by the singer, while the Trump campaign released T-shirts inspired by the Eras Tour. Did it.

As Election Day approaches, the Harris campaign is bringing in more A-listers to inspire people to vote, including a long-awaited appearance from 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 ordinary Americans.

But the former president is also rallying celebrity support at this critical time. On Wednesday night, Hall of Fame Packers quarterback Brett Favre returned to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to attend Trump's latest rally. TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw delivered remarks at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday, as did tech giant Elon Musk.

Television personality Dr. Phil McGraw arrives to speak at a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024 in New York City.

As CNN previously reported, a recent Harvard study found that celebrity endorsements play an influential role in boosting civic participation.

As voters turn out to vote, a wide range of stars have recently come out in support. Some have been anticipating, like Oscar winner and longtime environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio, who spoke about Harris' commitment to climate change and said Trump “continues to deny the facts.” Others have been more surprising, such as former Republican Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, who announced his support for Harris, calling Trump an “unpatriot.”

“I don't really support. I'm not shy about sharing my views, 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 organically or was done in coordination with the Harris campaign.

One celebrity publicist told CNN that, as in the last two elections, many of his left-leaning clients have been motivated to take a stance against Trump, even to the extent of showing support for another candidate.

“A lot of this has been driven by Trump. When it comes down to it, do you all want Trump to be president or not? It's a very inspiring thing,” the preacher said. “The Trump phenomenon as an organizer is far more powerful than most things.”

But on the other side of the aisle, Trump has more public celebrity supporters than ever.

His longtime Hollywood fans include Jon Voight, Kelsey Grammer and Roseanne Barr, and country singers like Jason Aldean and John Rich are also supporting him. But this year, actors including Dennis Quaid, Zachary Levi and Mel Gibson have publicly endorsed Trump, as well as Mike Tyson and athletes like Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker and astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Have done.

Trump has been unique in his multifaceted celebrity approach, targeting hugely popular social media stars and podcasters who arguably have 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 over 40 million views Has gone.

“I wouldn't list the celebrities too much, but in some states and districts where the election is being won by less than 500 voters, in a really close election you want to play all your cards,” the Hollywood political strategist said.




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