How Donald Trump tried — and failed — to get Pitbull's endorsement

Donald Trump once flew rapper Pitbull to his resort in a helicopter in a failed attempt to win his endorsement.

(Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

published 11 July 2016

You don't want to cross Pitbull. The Miami-born rapper has had No. 1 hits in more than 15 countries and has sold more than 70 million singles, plus he has his own fragrance, vodka, clothing line, television production company, and SiriusXM channel. In other words, people really, really like Pitbull. It's no wonder brands like Bud Light, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Dodge, and Norwegian Cruise Lines have all sought his endorsement.

Some endorsement-seekers have been more successful than others, though:

Various [presidential] candidates have sought Pitbull's support; so far, he has not endorsed anyone. But after Donald Trump's controversial comments about Mexicans, Pitbull said that he didn't think Trump understood the power and the unity of Latinos, and that he, personally, would have a hard time staying in one of Trump's hotels. He also said that both the Republicans and Democrats needed to step up or Donald Trump would take the lead. "I actually met with Trump," he tells me. "He flew [me] in his helicopter over to his resort in West Palm Beach. I like to sit down with people and see what they've got going on, and if there's anybody that's fallen down and got back up ... with all the bankruptcies he's been through — well, you have to respect certain things about him. But I don't think he knew what he was talking about [when he said those things about Mexicans], and there's nothing he won't say to have the limelight. The more outlandish [it is], the more they put it on television." [Vanity Fair]

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.