A Gen Z pop star kicked off Harris’ campaign. Puerto Rican musicians may bring her to the finish line

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CNN
 — 

In September, Latin music celebrity Nicky Jam appeared onstage with Donald Trump. Donning a crimson MAGA hat, the reggaeton singer informed a Las Vegas rally that he was supporting the previous president.

On Tuesday, he withdrew his endorsement – becoming a member of a refrain of well-known Puerto Ricans who’ve condemned comments made by a comedian at Trump’s New York Metropolis rally earlier this week assailing the US island territory.

“Puerto Rico needs to be revered,” Nicky Jam informed his 43 million Instagram followers.

Whereas Jam didn’t endorse Harris in his submit, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, reggaeton star Don Omar, “Despacito” singer Luis Fonsi and international celebrity Dangerous Bunny are among the many celebrities of Puerto Rican descent who’ve proven assist for the vp or her platform since Sunday. Lopez can also be collaborating in a rally alongside Harris in Las Vegas on Thursday.

Harris marketing campaign officers had at all times deliberate for star-studded occasions within the homestretch of the presidential election. However the inflow of Latino artists denouncing Trump and exhibiting up for Harris with voting already underway is the October shock that the marketing campaign didn’t see coming.

Collectively, these stars have a mixed 390 million international followers on Instagram alone – greater than the US inhabitants.

In a razor-thin race, superstar assist can transfer the needle, specialists say, particularly amongst a demographic with which polls have proven Trump closing the gap with Harris – Latino males – and particularly at a time when each campaigns are vying for the Puerto Rican vote in battleground Pennsylvania, the place there’s a sizable portion of Latino voters.

The Trump marketing campaign has sought to distance itself from Hinchcliffe, with marketing campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez saying in an announcement after the rally, “This joke doesn’t replicate the views of President Trump or the marketing campaign.”

The support from Bad Bunny – born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – got here as a shock to the Harris workforce, in line with a marketing campaign official.

Harris marketing campaign officers had been in talks with Dangerous Bunny’s workforce and have been cautiously optimistic he would again the vp’s plans for Puerto Rico, in line with a supply acquainted with discussions, however they didn’t count on him to weigh in Sunday, sharing on his social media a video of Harris’ plans for the island.

Dangerous Bunny has not typically weighed in on politics. A consultant for the star informed CNN that his repost of Harris’ video on Instagram was “not an endorsement” however that he’s “supporting” the vp as a result of “Benito’s political focus has at all times been on Puerto Rico.”

For months, an endorsement from Dangerous Bunny had been on the prime of the Harris marketing campaign’s want listing, resulting from his affect on younger male Latino voters, in line with one other supply acquainted with the marketing campaign’s Hollywood outreach.

“They’re cultural validators,” stated one supply near the marketing campaign, including that actions from Latino artists garner protection in Spanish media and assist open discussions among the many Latino group.

One other supply described Latino celebrities weighing in for Harris as one other approach for the marketing campaign to interrupt by means of amongst Latinos at a time when polls counsel waning enthusiasm.

Harris pollster Matt Barreto, who focuses on Latino voters, argued that endorsements may also help mobilize voters.

“Any kind of superstar, influencer, well-known particular person has the flexibility to draw consideration and entice eyeballs,” Barreto stated. “That, by itself, is an enormous constructive. These are people who find themselves acknowledged. To some extent, they’re trusted.”

Whereas celebrities alone get consideration for title recognition, Barreto argued that voters want a motive to take heed to them. That, he stated, is one motive Sunday’s inflammatory feedback about Puerto Rico has resulted in a snowball impact that has reached Latinos nationwide.

“This was all pure, and it helped amplify what the typical particular person on the road was feeling,” he stated.

“It is a very distinctive second that might be talked about after the marketing campaign and after the election for a very long time. It’s so rather more highly effective than the Latino group and, in any group, when you’ve celebrities and influencers and on a regular basis folks all reacting in actual time equally to such an offense,” he added.

A Hollywood political strategist who has been working with many A-listers this election cycle agrees that authenticity is essential, particularly because the attain of celebrities and is evolving.

“A number of years in the past, celebrities took the strategy of extra is extra. That’s not it. It’s a must to concentrate on the proper folks in the proper locations and align the folks with the proper points and the proper message,” the strategist stated. “Followers have to consider it.”

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

Ever since Harris’ marketing campaign kicked off with Charli XCX’s lime inexperienced stamp of approval, Hollywood’s affect has been within the highlight.

The British pop star’s “kamala IS brat” endorsement catapulted Harris into Gen Z territory on the very begin of her marketing campaign this summer time, validating her candidacy amongst legions of younger voters and turning the vp right into a popular culture meme icon.

Charli XCX’s endorsement got here as a shock to the Harris marketing campaign, however it leaned in onerous, flooding TikTok with lime inexperienced, coconut tree emojis and music from one other Gen Z pop star, Chappell Roan, in an effort to succeed in youthful voters.

Taylor Swift’s September endorsement of Harris, moments after the presidential debate, additionally got here as a shock to the vp’s marketing campaign. Each Harris and Trump swiftly pounced on the “Swiftie” fanbase, showcasing the pop celebrity’s immense attain: The Harris marketing campaign created Harris-Walz friendship bracelets impressed by the singer, whereas the Trump marketing campaign launched Eras Tour-inspired T-shirts.

The listing of celebrities and musicians backing Harris has solely grown – starting from music legends Stevie Marvel and Bruce Springsteen, who’ve carried out at Harris occasions in Georgia, to the stars of Marvel’s “Avengers” movies, who backed the vp on social media Thursday.

And as Election Day nears, the Harris marketing campaign is bringing in additional A-listers to mobilize folks to vote, together with a long-anticipated look by Beyoncé final week.

“We’ll use all of the instruments at our disposal,” a senior marketing campaign official beforehand informed CNN.

Trump later mocked his opponent for having a “dance social gathering with Beyoncé,” suggesting that Harris was extra centered on celebrities than on on a regular basis Individuals.

However the former president, too, is enlisting superstar assist throughout this vital time. On Wednesday evening, corridor of fame Packers quarterback Brett Favre returned to Inexperienced Bay, Wisconsin, to affix Trump’s newest rally. TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw delivered remarks at Trump’s Madison Sq. Backyard rally on Sunday, as did tech magnate Elon Musk.

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

As CNN beforehand reported, a recent Harvard study discovered that superstar endorsements do play an influential position in selling civic participation.

As voters get out to the polls, a variety of stars have made current endorsements. Some have been predictable like Oscar winner and longtime environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio, who spoke about Harris’ dedication to local weather change and said that Trump “continues to disclaim the details.” Others have been extra stunning, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, the previous Republican governor of California who introduced his assist for Harris, calling Trump “unpatriotic.”

“I don’t actually do endorsements. I’m not shy about sharing my views, however I hate politics and don’t belief most politicians,” Schwarzenegger wrote Wednesday on X. “I’ll at all times be an American earlier than I’m a Republican.”

Representatives for Schwarzenegger didn’t reply to CNN’s request for touch upon whether or not his submit got here organically or was achieved in coordination with the Harris marketing campaign.

A star publicist informed CNN that, just like the previous two elections, lots of his left-leaning purchasers have been pushed to take a stance in opposition to Trump, much more so than to indicate assist for an additional candidate.

“A variety of it has been pushed by Trump. When it comes all the way down to it, do you all need Trump to be the president or not? That’s a really motivating factor,” the publicist stated. “The Trump phenomenon is way extra highly effective as an organizer than most issues.”

However on the opposite aspect of the aisle, Trump has extra public superstar supporters than ever earlier than.

His longtime Hollywood followers embody Jon Voight, Kelsey Grammer and Roseanne Barr, and nation singers similar to Jason Aldean and John Wealthy are additionally backing him. However this 12 months, actors, together with Dennis Quaid, Zachary Levi and Mel Gibson, have publicly endorsed Trump, as have athletes similar to Mike Tyson and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, and astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

Trump has been distinctive in his multifaceted superstar strategy, concentrating on vastly fashionable social media stars and podcasters, who arguably wield extra affect than most Hollywood celebrities. His hour-and-a-half livestream with 24-year-old gamer Adin Ross garnered thousands and thousands extra eyeballs than any conventional information community may, as did his current dialog with podcaster Joe Rogan, which presently has greater than 40 million views.

“I wouldn’t over-index celebrities, however in a extremely shut election in sure states and districts the place elections are going to be gained by lower than 500 voters, you need to play all your playing cards,” the Hollywood political strategist stated.

This story has been up to date with further developments.



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