The Super Bowl halftime stage rarely stays out of politics, and this year proved that again. Within minutes of Bad Bunny’s performance ending, President Donald J. Trump posted a blistering review on Truth Social.
He called the show “absolutely terrible” and “one of the worst, EVER.” His reaction traveled as fast as the fireworks that closed the set. The debate quickly shifted from music to culture and national identity.
On Feb. 9, Trump described the performance as “a slap in the face to our country,” arguing that it did not reflect American standards of success, creativity, or excellence. He said “nobody understands a word this guy is saying” and criticized the choreography as “disgusting,” especially for children watching across the U.S. and around the world. He suggested that, with record stock markets and strong 401(k)s, the country deserved a more uplifting halftime message.
Meanwhile, Bad Bunny delivered a very different message at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Performing mostly in Spanish, he built a set around Caribbean imagery, including sugar cane fields and a piragua stand. He walked audiences through the Americas from Chile to Canada, ending with Puerto Rico, and held up a football reading “Together we are America.” At one point, he told viewers to never stop believing in themselves, before being joined by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.
Accordingly, Trump’s reaction did not emerge in isolation. Conservative backlash had followed Bad Bunny since his selection last year, especially after he criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement during his recent Grammy speech and avoided U.S. tour stops over raid concerns.
Turning Point USA staged a counterprogrammed halftime show with Kid Rock for audiences aligned with Trump’s politics.
