Texas Democrat — a Latin Grammy winner and party recruit — caught defacing Trump’s Hollywood star
Tejano musician Bobby Pulido is making headlines as he transitions from a successful music career to a political one, announcing his candidacy for Congress in Texas’ 15th district. This move comes with a notable backstory: nearly a decade ago, Pulido gained attention for a controversial stunt in which he filmed himself urinating on President Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star. The video, which he shared on Instagram with the cheeky caption “when you gotta go, you gotta go,” has resurfaced as Pulido seeks to unseat incumbent Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz. Although he has attempted to position himself as a bipartisan candidate, his past actions, including dressing up in a bloody Trump costume and making provocative comments about Republican voters, paint a more contentious picture.
Pulido, who has received multiple Latin Grammy nominations and won for Best Tejano Album in 2022 and 2025, is leveraging his music background and community roots in his campaign. In his launch video, he emphasizes his identity as a “100% South Texas Tejano” and expresses a commitment to uniting the community, saying, “I’m not team red or team blue. South Texas, I’m team you.” His campaign has garnered significant financial support, raising $306,000 in the third quarter of 2024, and he has been actively recruited by Democrats to run. However, in a strategic move to appeal to a broader audience, Pulido has since removed many of his more combative posts regarding Trump from social media, indicating a shift in his approach as he navigates the political landscape.
As Pulido embarks on this new journey, his past actions could either bolster his appeal among certain voter demographics or raise concerns about his ability to unify a divided electorate. His candidacy will be closely watched, particularly given the competitive nature of Texas politics and the significance of the district he aims to represent. With a history of provocative statements and a commitment to community advocacy, Pulido’s campaign is poised to spark discussions about identity, partisanship, and the role of artists in political discourse.
Nearly a decade before launching his run for
Congress,
Tejano musician Bobby Pulido filmed himself defacing President Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star — a stunt that’s resurfacing as the award-winning singer seeks a U.S. House seat in South Texas.
The video, originally posted to Instagram, depicts Pulido urinating on Trump’s plaque with the caption, “when you gotta go, you gotta go.”
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Although Pulido has marketed himself as a bipartisan candidate, this isn’t the first time he has made provocative acts of protest against the president — and Republicans.
Pulido is best known for Tejano, or Mexican–Spanish folk-style, songs like “Desvelado” and “Se Murió de Amor,” and received five nominations for a Latin Grammy Award, winning Best Tejano Album in 2025 and 2022.
He announced in 2024 he would forgo his longtime music career to pursue elected office.
Pulido has filed to run for Congress in Texas’ 15th district, challenging Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas. A two-term incumbent, she last won election to the district in 2024 in a 57.1% to 42.9% victory over
Democratic
nominee Michelle Vallejo.
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“You may know me as Bobby Pulido the singer,” Pulido said in his campaign
launch video.
“I am José Roberto Pulido Jr., the son of (a) migrant farmworker and 100% South Texas Tejano. Let me tell you. I won’t stand by and watch the South Texas that raised me be torn down and divided.”
“I’m not team red or team blue. South Texas, I’m team you. I’ve spent decades using my voice to bring people together. Now I’ll use it to fight for the place we call home,” Pulido said.
Democrats had heavily recruited Pulido to run, according to
reporting
from Politico.
His third-quarter campaign filings
with the Federal Election Commission
, show that Pulido has raised $306,000 this cycle.
Since announcing his bid, Pulido has scrubbed his social media of his more combative mentions of
Trump,
including the incident with Trump’s star of fame.
Univision, a Spanish-speaking outlet, originally covered the video but has since removed the story from its page. The story can still be viewed through
snapshots
of the website’s history.
Although his act of crude public display stands out, Pulido has also posted other notable instances of disparity with Republicans.
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Pulido
made headlines
earlier in 2025 when he dressed up in a bloody costume of Trump, drawing criticisms from fellow Democrats.
In
a post to X
in 2016, Pulido also put up a picture of Texas’ voting results, describing portions of the state as “Blue = smart” and “Red = neck.” Two years later, Pulido
posted a screenshot
of a text sent to his son, reminding him to vote for a then-Democratic candidate for Senate.
“Don’t forget to go vote for Beto (O’Rourke) if you want to keep your inheritance,” Pulido said, adding a winking emoji to his text.
Pulido’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
