J Balvin pulls out of Miss USA pageant in protest of Donald Trump
Colombian singer J Balvin was scheduled to perform at the Miss USA pageant on July 12, but Billboard reports that he will not appear at the show because of comments Miss Universe Organization owner Donald Trump made about Mexicans and Latins.
Trump made the comments in question while announcing his presidential bid on June 16. He said, “When do we beat Mexico at the border? They’re laughing at us, at our stupidity. And now they are beating us economically. They are not our friend, believe me. But they’re killing us economically.”
He also said, “The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems …It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably, probably, from the Middle East.”
Balvin decided to pull out of the broadcast after hearing Trump. “It was going to be my first performance on national [mainstream] television,” Balvin told Billboard. “But we’re talking about our roots, our culture, our values. This isn’t about being punitive, but about showing leadership through social responsibility. His comments weren’t just about Mexicans, but about all Latins in general.”
On Instagram, Balvin posted a photo of the Billboard article and added more commentary. “I think music is for fun. It is that people have a good time. I’m not a savior and I’m not Robin Hood But in this case, I feel totally comfortable and responsible with my decision to cancel Miss USA,” he wrote (translation via Google). “Opportunities will come, God willing national television in the US but as a Latino is my decision LATINO UP AND UP MEXICO !!”
Other artists expected to perform at the Miss USA Pageant include rapper Flo Rida and country singer Craig Wayne.
For more with Balvin, head to Billboard.