Donald Trump and Kamala Harris both held rallies in Las Vegas on Thursday, October 31st. While Donald Trump’s was the usual anti-immigration hate-fest, Harris attempted to get across a message of hope. She also had one very notable speaker with her: internationally famous Puerto Rican music superstar Jennifer Lopez.
It’s important to state that Lopez is Puerto Rican because of the insult that Trump’s campaign dished out to Puerto Ricans at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. A speaker called Tony Hinchcliffe, the worst kind of comedian, referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage.”There were other racist jabs as well, including one aimed at Black Americans, but the “garbage” line grabbed the most headlines.
Puerto Rican celebrities were furious, and they had every right to be. Big names such as Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin called the Trump campaign out and stated their intent to vote for Harris. But Lopez is arguably the biggest Puerto Rican star in the world, so her support made a huge statement.
“I believe in the power of Latinos,” Lopez said to the large crowd. “Where my Latinos at? I believe in the power of our community, I believe in the power of all our votes. I believe that, together, we are the difference in this election. I know that together we are the difference in this election.” At that point, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, a person in the crowd shouted out, “Jenny from the Block, we love you!”
Lopez’s speech lasted around 13 minutes in all. She went on to speak of the “garbage” insult, saying, “It wasn’t just Puerto Ricans that were offended that day, it was every Latino in this country, it was humanity and anyone of decent character,” before referring to Trump and his MAGA campaign as “the biggest adversary I think, internally, America has ever had.”
The superstar declared, “I am an American woman, I am the daughter of Guadalupe Rodriguez and David Lopez, a proud daughter and son of Puerto Rico. I am Puerto Rican … and yes, I was born here.” She continued, “I am an actor and an entertainer. And I like Hollywood endings. I like when the good guy, and in this case, the good girl wins.”
She started to understandably get emotional at the end of her speech. “I promised myself I wouldn’t get emotional, but, you know what? We should be emotional, we should be upset, we should be scared and outraged. Our pain matters, we matter, you matter,” she told the equally emotional crowd. “Your voice and your vote matters. Don’t be afraid to make people around you uncomfortable.”
In a matter of days, the nation will decide whether they want Harris or Trump to be president. A vast number of celebrities, including Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Julia Roberts, have thrown their support behind Harris. Let’s hope all the work they’ve been doing will pay off in the end—the race remains close, despite the constant hateful rhetoric and incomprehensible rambling from Trump.
Published: Nov 1, 2024 01:59 pm