After a controversial joke by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe about Puerto Rico, five influential Puerto Rican stars have banded together, amassing an impressive 340 million Instagram followers. This show of solidarity comes following a backlash against Hinchcliffe’s comments made at a Donald Trump rally, where he labeled Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” The remark drew criticism from both sides of the political aisle, including ex-Trump administration member Peter Navarro and Republican Representative Mike Lawler.
Monica Schipper L) and Taylor Hill (R/Getty Images and Film Magic
Leading the charge is Jennifer Lopez, who boasts over 250 million Instagram followers and 44 million on X (formerly Twitter). She leveraged her platforms to share a Harris campaign message addressing Hinchcliffe’s comments, which received 2.7 million views on X.
Other stars, including Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, and Luis Fonsi, echoed similar sentiments on their Instagram accounts over the weekend. Bad Bunny, with 45 million followers, Martin at 18.6 million, Fonsi with 16 million, and Anthony at 13.5 million, combined for a staggering total of 343 million followers across Instagram.
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Lopez leads the influencer ranks with an A+ Instagram rating from SocialBlade, indicating her substantial impact. Fonsi and Bad Bunny also hold an A rating, alongside Martin, while Anthony sits slightly lower at an A-.
The reach of their posts is a bit tricky to quantify, especially as many were shared as Instagram Stories, which vanish after 24 hours. However, follower dynamics show that Bad Bunny notably gained over 42,000 followers post-endorsement, reversing a prior trend of losses. Martin saw a boost of about 10,000 followers in two days, marking his best growth since mid-October.
Interestingly, Lopez experienced a slight loss of around 25,000 followers, which aligns with her recent trends. Meanwhile, Fonsi maintained a steady growth rate, and Anthony’s following fluctuated consistently over the past two weeks.
This initiative joins a larger movement of celebrities voicing their political opinions this election season. Big names like Eminem, Taylor Swift, and Bruce Springsteen have come out in favor of Harris, while figures such as Hulk Hogan, Mel Gibson, and Dr. Phil support Trump.