Corridos have a long-standing tradition in Mexican culture as narrative folk songs that recount historical events, the news or popular mythology. They were originally used to spread news of revolutionary heroes in the 1800s and have since evolved to celebrate popular figures from literature, news, and politics. Some corridos also celebrate drug lords who gain power by filling power vacuums left by corrupt politicians, most famously depicted in Breaking Bad.
In recent years, multiple Mexican corrido songs have gone viral on social media, recounting the story of former US President Donald Trump’s narrow escape from death in a July 13 assassination attempt. These posts celebrate Trump as divinely protected and a man who “has never known fear.
Two popular corrido songs about the events of July 13 have circulated on social media. The first, by Grupo Norteño Gethsemani de Los Angeles, declares Trump’s escape a “miracle” and proclaims him protected by Jesus Christ. The band describes how Trump was shot at during a campaign rally but miraculously survived the attempt. They sing that “Even though many won’t understand it, nobody can stop Trump.
The second song, composed by Pepe Sánchez and reportedly performed by Conjunto Diamante Norteño, has garnered millions of views on Tiktok. It praises Trump as a brave man who has never known fear and criticizes the Secret Service’s lack of action despite multiple witnesses informing law enforcement that the shooter was on a nearby rooftop.
Trump’s portrayal in Hispanic music has not always been positive, with some bands describing him as “crazier than a goat” and claiming that he “hates us so much.” However, Trump has historically performed better among other sectors of the Hispanic community, particularly Cuban-American populations.
In contrast, Vice President Kamala Harris has been featured less often in Hispanic music, with an embarrassing incident occurring in Puerto Rico where she danced along to a song protesting her presence on the island. Sánchez, the composer of one of the Trump assassination attempt corrido songs, teased a new Harris corrido on his Tiktok account.
The Pew Research firm found in a survey taken from July 1 to 7 that the Hispanic vote was split 36-36 between Biden and Trump – leaving unclear how the dramatic changes to the race, from Biden’s withdrawal to Trump’s assassination attempt survival, will affect voter trends.