Five Puerto Rican celebrities have collectively reached up to 340 million followers on Instagram showing support for Kamala Harris after Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke about Puerto Rico was widely criticized.
The comedian said at a Donald Trump rally on Sunday that the territory was a “floating island of garbage.” The comment was called out by both Democrats and Republicans, including former member of the Trump administration, Peter Navarro, and Republican New York Representative Mike Lawler.
Senior adviser for the Trump campaign Danielle Alvarez told Newsweek in an email at the time: “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Jennifer Lopez (left) and Ricky Martin (right). Puerto Rican Lopez and Martin have been vocal on their social media accounts in their support for Kamala Harris after a joke was made about Puerto Rico at… Jennifer Lopez (left) and Ricky Martin (right). Puerto Rican Lopez and Martin have been vocal on their social media accounts in their support for Kamala Harris after a joke was made about Puerto Rico at Donald Trump’s Madison Square rally. Monica Schipper L) and Taylor Hill (R/Getty Images and Film Magic
Lopez, arguably the most influential celebrity on the list, has more than 250 million followers on Instagram, and more than 44 million followers on X, formerly Twitter.
She used both platforms to promote content from the Harris campaign which responded to Hinchcliffe’s comments and highlighted Harris’ plans to support Puerto Rico. Her post on X received 2.7 million views.
Singers Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, best known as Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, and Luis Fonsi all posted similarly to their Instagram accounts on Sunday and Monday.
Martínez Ocasio has more than 45 million followers on Instagram, Martin has 18.6 million, Fonsi has 16 million, and Anthony has 13.5 million.
Combined, the five celebrities have a following of 343 million on Instagram alone.
Marc Anthony (left) and Bad Bunny (right). The two Puerto Rican celebrities have shown their support for Harris after Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke about Puerto Rico at a Trump rally on Sunday. Marc Anthony (left) and Bad Bunny (right). The two Puerto Rican celebrities have shown their support for Harris after Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke about Puerto Rico at a Trump rally on Sunday. Sergione Infuso L) and Sarah Stier R/Getty Images (and Corbis via Getty images
Lopez’ Instagram account is ranked A+ by the social media tracker SocialBlade, meaning her account has the highest level of influence based on metrics calculated by the outlet.
SocialBlade also ranked Fonsi and Bad Bunny’s accounts with an A, the same ranking given to Martin’s, and Anthony’s account, while being lower than the others at A-, also had a high ranking of influence.
The response from their followers is hard to measure as many of the posts were on Instagram Stories, which disappear after 24 hours and don’t have public comments.
According to SocialBlade follower data, the most affected appears to be Martínez Ocasio, a.k.a. Bad Bunny, who gained over 42,000 followers after his endorsement, despite consistently losing daily followers for the 10 days prior. Martin gained around 10,000 followers over two days, his most successful growth days since October 16.
Lopez has lost around 25,000 followers since her posts, which does not appear to be unusual compared to recent weeks.
Similarly, Fonsi has continued to gain followers each day at approximately the same rate as before, and Anthony’s following has fluctuated consistently over the past two weeks.
They join a growing number of celebrities who have weighed in on the election. Eminem, Taylor Swift, and Bruce Springsteen are among those endorsing Harris, while Hulk Hogan, Mel Gibson, and Dr. Phil, are backing Trump.
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Puerto Rican celebrities supporting Kamala Harris could wield significant influence, leveraging their combined social media following of over 300 million fans worldwide. These stars bring massive engagement, reaching a diverse, multicultural audience that spans generations and borders. With their platforms, these Puerto Rican influencers—spanning music, film, and entertainment—can amplify Harris’s message, potentially swaying younger voters and Latino communities across the U.S. and Latin America. This type of high-profile endorsement not only boosts visibility for Harris but also signals a broader alignment with issues important to Puerto Rican and Latino communities, from healthcare to climate change and social justice.
Their voices add weight to Harris’s campaign, as each post, tweet, or story can quickly go viral, stirring conversations and rallying support across platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. The endorsement from these stars not only taps into their massive following but also leverages their credibility, potentially swaying undecided voters who trust these celebrities’ opinions.
