Texas Democrat — a Latin Grammy winner and party recruit — caught defacing Trump’s Hollywood star
Bobby Pulido, a well-known Tejano musician, is making headlines as he transitions from the music stage to the political arena, announcing his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in Texas’ 15th district. This move comes nearly a decade after he drew public attention for a controversial act: filming himself urinating on President Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star. The video, which resurfaced as Pulido’s campaign gained traction, carries the caption “when you gotta go, you gotta go,” and highlights his long-standing opposition to Trump and the Republican Party. Despite this provocative past, Pulido is presenting himself as a bipartisan candidate, emphasizing his deep roots in South Texas and his commitment to uniting the community rather than dividing it along party lines.
Pulido, who has received multiple Latin Grammy nominations and won awards for his contributions to Tejano music, declared his intention to run for Congress in 2024, stepping away from his music career to pursue public office. He is challenging incumbent Rep. Monica De La Cruz, a Republican who won her last election with a significant margin. In his campaign launch video, Pulido introduces himself not just as a musician but as “José Roberto Pulido Jr., the son of a migrant farmworker and 100% South Texas Tejano.” He expresses a desire to be a voice for the people of South Texas, stating, “I won’t stand by and watch the South Texas that raised me be torn down and divided.” His campaign is gaining momentum, having raised over $306,000 in its third-quarter filings, and he has been actively distancing himself from his more combative past statements about Trump and Republicans.
While Pulido’s candidacy is marked by a call for unity and bipartisanship, his history of provocative protests against Trump and the GOP cannot be overlooked. His previous antics include dressing up in a bloody Trump costume and making disparaging remarks about Texas voting demographics on social media. As he navigates the complexities of a political campaign, Pulido’s ability to reconcile his past actions with his current message will be crucial in appealing to a diverse electorate in South Texas, a region that has seen significant political shifts in recent years. Pulido’s journey from music to politics reflects a broader trend of artists engaging in political discourse, and his candidacy will be closely watched as the election approaches.
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.”
TEXAS REP JASMINE CROCKETT WEIGHS SENATE BID AFTER REDISTRICTING THREATENS HOUSE SEAT
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.
TEXAS DEMOCRAT BLASTED FOR ‘BLOODY TRUMP’ COSTUME, VIOLENT RHETORIC AFTER DEADLY ICE SHOOTING
“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.
DEM SENATE HOPEFUL CALLS FOR CIVILITY, DESPITE PAST WARNING OF ‘RADICALIZED WHITE MEN’
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.
