Bobby Pulido’s decade-old defense of a violent music video has resurfaced as a campaign flashpoint in his bid for Texas’ 15th Congressional District, forcing Republicans to decide whether his entertainment past disqualifies him from serious office. The dispute centers on a 2016 interview in which Pulido shielded a fellow singer’s controversial video, and it sits alongside other troubling episodes critics say paint a pattern. Pulido’s explanations, his campaign’s counterattacks, and an RNC rebuke are all part of a heated pre-election fight that will test conservative voters’ tolerance for celebrity controversies.
The controversy began with the music video for “Fuiste Mía,” which includes a scene where a man discovers infidelity and then commits violent acts against the woman and her partner. Pulido defended the production at the time, framing it as an artistic choice and part of a genre that sometimes pushes boundaries. He told interviewers, “I’ve made videos with suggestive images; some have stayed, others have been edited, and still others were never used. That’s the decision of the artist and their team,” defending the right of creators to decide how to portray difficult material.
Pulido’s defense did not sit well with many conservatives, who argue that celebrating or excusing violent imagery is the wrong tone for a candidate seeking federal office. His critics point to a broader catalogue of incidents that, taken together, challenge his judgment and political instincts. Those incidents include social posts and public stunts that opponents say show a pattern of bad judgment.
His social media history has been dragged into the light, with older posts linking to explicit sites and a viral claim he urinated on President Trump’s Hollywood star—an episode Pulido dismissed. He defended those choices with offhand explanations, saying “it’s impossible to have Twitter and not watch porn,” and insisting that the star incident was done “as a joke.” Those lines of defense have not convinced many conservative activists.
More serious was a 2018 appearance where Pulido invited a musician who later was identified as a registered sex offender to a middle school benefit concert. Pulido has said he did not know the associate’s status at the time and called the coverage a “nothing story,” but opponents say the error was reckless and avoidable. That event became a go-to talking point for critics who argue Pulido is too lax about the people he surrounds himself with.
In defending graphic music videos, Pulido also compared audience reactions to public curiosity around accidents. He asked, “What happens when there’s a [car] accident?” then added, “Traffic doesn’t flow because people slow down or even stop to see what happened; something similar happens with the regional Mexican genre when these kinds of incidents occur.” His point was that shocking imagery attracts attention, but many see the comparison as tone-deaf and dismissive of victims.
The campaign has pushed back hard, arguing the debate over a decade-old interview is a distraction from alleged problems on the Republican side and from the incumbent’s own controversies. “This is emblematic of national Republicans doing anything and everything to distract voters from what are very real — not based on a fictional video — child abuse accusations against Monica De La Cruz and her refusal to release the Epstein files after thousands of girls were trafficked and abused,” a Pulido campaign spokesperson said, shifting focus to allegations against his GOP opponent.
They doubled down with a follow-up claim aimed at framing the criticism as partisan: “Monica De La Cruz knows she’s losing, so she’s deploying the RNC to do her dirty work and deliberately mischaracterized a decade-old Spanish-language interview, in which Bobby said he respects artists’ right to make their own music – a right that Republicans used to believe in but apparently don’t when it comes to their opponents,” the campaign added. That defense has been used to rally supporters who view the scrutiny as politically motivated.
Not everyone in the Republican ecosystem bought Pulido’s argument. “Bobby Pulido has spent his entire adult life defending perverts and predators while lashing out at members of law enforcement who keep Texans safe. He is a truly sick individual who is morally rotten,” Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, said, a blistering condemnation that signals official party discomfort. The rhetoric from both sides suggests this race will stay bitter as Election Day approaches.
Both Pulido and Rep. Monica De La Cruz cleared their primaries and are set to face each other in the general election on Nov. 3, making this dispute a live issue as conservative voters weigh character, judgment, and who best represents their values in Washington. The campaign will likely keep turning past controversies into present weapons as the race tightens and voters demand clearer answers about fitness for office.
