Bad Bunny Triggers MAGA Outrage After Super Bowl Halftime Show Selection
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Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican music star and a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, will headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show, the NFL announced Sunday night.
The three-time Grammy winner has also spoken openly about colonialism in Puerto Rico and expressed concerns over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
He will take the stage at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on February 8, marking a historic moment as the first male Latin artist to lead the show solo.
Highlights
- Bad Bunny, a vocal Trump critic and three-time Grammy winner, will headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show solo, marking a Latin music milestone.
- Bad Bunny expressed concerns about ICE, which influenced his decision to avoid a full U.S. tour, fearing immigration raids at concerts.
- The halftime show will be produced by Roc Nation, led by Jay-Z, who praised Bad Bunny as a global force and inspiration for Puerto Rico.
Trump critic Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl halftime show next year
Image credits: Arturo Holmes/WireImage
In a recent interview, Bad Bunny said his concerns about ICE influenced his decision to exclude U.S. cities from his current tour, fearing that his concert and audience might be targeted by ICE.
“But there was the issue of — like, f*****g ICE could be outside [my concert],” he told i-D magazine. “And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, also publicly endorsed Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee.
Despite avoiding a full U.S. tour, Bad Bunny hinted at one major appearance. Just minutes before the NFL made the announcement, he teased fans by posting, “I’ve been thinking about it these days, and after discussing it with my team, I think I’ll do just one date in the United States.”
Image credits: Gladys Vega/Getty Images
That “one date” is now confirmed as the Super Bowl halftime show, watched by over 130 million people annually.
The performance announcement immediately drew praise from fans and criticism from some conservative corners.
While Trump supporters expressed anger on social media, many celebrated the move, with one user even calling it a statement more than a performance.
The performance will be produced by Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z.
Since 2019, Roc Nation has played a key role in choosing Super Bowl halftime talent. In a statement, Jay-Z praised Bad Bunny as “a global force” and “truly inspiring.”
“What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honored to have him on the world’s biggest stage,” Jay-Z said.
Jay-Z's entertainment company will be producing Bad Bunny's performance
Bruno Mars also showed his support, telling Bad Bunny to “go get em,” in an X post.
California Governor Gavin Newsom came to Bad Bunny’s defense after MAGA influencer Benny Johnson criticized the artist on the platform.
“This is Bad Bunny. He was just announced as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. Massive Trump hater, Anti-ICE activist, No songs in English,” Johnson wrote on X. “The NFL is self-destructing year after year.”
In response, Newsom told Johnson, “Benny, calm down. We all know you listen to Bad Bunny, lol.”
While neither the White House nor Donald Trump has issued an official statement about the halftime show, Trump made his thoughts clear in a Truth Social post.
“Hard to watch the new NFL kickoff. It’s wrong on every level. They should end it, immediately. Bad for the game of football!” he wrote on Monday, September 29.
Trump criticized the NFL, calling it ‘wrong on every level’
Image credits: The White House/Flickr
Conservative radio host Dan O’Donnell also voiced his displeasure, calling out Bad Bunny for hypocrisy.
“The NFL just announced Bad Bunny as its Super Bowl halftime show. Bad Bunny said two weeks ago he won’t perform in the US because he’s scared ICE agents would deport his fans. Turns out his business sense far outweighs his moral convictions,” he wrote on X.
This will be Roc Nation’s seventh Super Bowl show. The company previously brought Latin culture to the halftime stage in 2020, when Shakira and Jennifer Lopez co-headlined.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history.”
Bad Bunny’s latest album Debí Tirar Más Fotos highlights Puerto Rican rhythms and themes of identity and gentrification.