Jennifer Lopez got emotional as she spoke out in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris at her Las Vegas rally on Thursday night.
The actress stepped out to thunderous applause, glowing in a beige turtleneck dress and looking like the quintessential girlboss. Her long brown hair fell in soft waves down past her shoulders.
“Buenas noches, Las Vegas!” she began, after walking out to her hit song “Let’s Get Loud”.
“This is the most important stage I’ve ever been on,” she continued. “We are on the brink of an election that demands a choice; a choice between backwards and forwards, a choice between past and future, a choice between divided and united.”
“I’m a lover, I am not a fighter, I am not here to trash anyone or bring them down.”
She paused momentarily to collect herself as she had tears in her eyes. “I promised myself I wouldn’t get emotional, but you know what? We should be emotional,” she said.
“We should be upset; we should be scared and outraged. Our pain matters. We matter, you matter; your voice and your vote matter.”
The mother of two went on to make a powerful statement about the role of women and Latinos in the upcoming election.
“I believe in the power of women,” she said passionately. “I believe that women have the power to make the difference in this election.”
© BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI“I believe in the power of Latinos. I believe in the power of our community. I believe that together we are the difference in this election.”
J-Lo’s appearance at the rally comes after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made racist remarks at a Trump rally in New York on Sunday about her parent’s home state, Puerto Rico.
“There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” he said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
© BRENDAN SMIALOWSKIThe Trump campaign distanced itself from the comment, saying, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny posted a video on his Instagram of Harris speaking about Trump’s treatment of the island after Hurricane Maria devastated the area in 2017.
“I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader,” she said in the video.
© DAVID BECKER“He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back devastating hurricanes and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults.”
Jennifer reposted the video to her stories, along with a clapping emoji and the Puerto Rican flag. “It wasn’t just Puerto Ricans who were offended that day,” she said at the rally, referring to the comedian’s remarks. “It was Latinos…and anyone of decent character.”
Mexican rock band Maná also performed tonight in the swing state, which has an estimated 30% Latino population, according to Pew Research Center.
