Julio Iglesias Vows to Never Perform at Donald Trump’s Casinos Again

Julio Iglesias is the latest Latin icon to voice his disapproval of Donald Trump. While promoting his latest album in Mexico on Wednesday (Oct. 7), Iglesias was asked about the Republican presidential hopeful by reporters. His answer? He called him “a clown” — then apologized to clowns for potentially insulting them.

According to The New York Times, Iglesias told Mexican press, “I’ve met Trump three or four times because I’ve played his places. I think his brain and his heart are not connected right now. It’s not correct, his position.”

Iglesias added, “I will never again play in his casinos. I don’t want to hurt the immigrants all over the world, and there are many casinos I can play that aren’t owned by Mr. Trump.”

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Widely regarded as the most successful Latin artist of all time, the Spanish balladeer was quick to point out that he is not using current events for self-promotion. “When I started this album two years ago, I was not thinking I would have something to do with Mr. Trump. I’m 72 years old and I’m maybe the biggest Latino artist in history. If you think that I need that now, that’s wrong. At my age, it’s too late to embrace situations just to gain something.”

Iglesias’ new album, aptly titled México, revisits 12 of the country’s most beloved standards with contemporary arrangements. It’s considered his love letter to a country that was critical to his success early on and has remained loyal to his music, as proven by his current tour there.

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The album, released Sept. 18, debuted at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums. The project’s first single, “Fallaste Corazón,” was his first Spanish recording in 12 years. This Friday, Iglesias will release his new single “México Lindo,” a mariachi-backed duet with Julión Álvarez.

The Latin icon has said México will be his last studio album. “What Trump says is absurd,” Iglesias told Billboard in an exclusive interview in September. “This country has moved tremendously in the last 40 years thanks to the great influx of Mexicans who have worked so hard to survive here. It’s unfair that what was good before is bad now. … The album can teach people like Donald Trump that Mexico is not a country of undesirables. It’s a beautiful country, and a country with a historic culture.”

This story first appeared on Billboard.com.