If you’re mad about Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl, you can simply not watch
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How much clout does Bad Bunny have?
Enough that certain people are still mad nearly two weeks after it was announced that the “Nuevayol” singer — one of the most popular and consequential artists on the planet, someone who can single-handedly boost local economies — will be the halftime performer during Super Bowl LX, to be held Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif.
The right-wing backlash was immediate, with much of the criticism focusing on three things: first, that Bad Bunny (real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) has been vocal about his opposition to the ongoing immigration raids, both in the mainland and in Puerto Rico; secondly, that he sings primarily in Spanish; and thirdly, that he’s “not American.”
This latter point, as conservative media personality Tomi Lahren hilariously learned the hard way and in real time, is not factually correct. (The interjection by Lahren’s guest, Krystal Ball — “He’s Puerto Rican.... That’s part of America, dear” — is still sending me.) And even if it was, it’d be irrelevant. As my colleague LZ Granderson recently pointed out, there have been plenty of non-American musical acts who have performed at the Super Bowl — from the Rolling Stones to U2 to Shakira.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was so appalled by Bad Bunny being tapped to perform that she announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be present at the big game.
“I have the responsibility for making sure everybody who goes to the Super Bowl has the opportunity to enjoy it and to leave, and that’s what America’s about,” she said. “So yeah, we’ll be all over that place. We’re going to enforce the law.”
What Noem left out was that federal law enforcement agents have historically been present at such high-profile events as the Copa America and previous Super Bowls — rapper 21 Savage was even arrested by ICE during the 2019 game, held in Atlanta.
To be clear, I’m not surprised that conservatives were upset about the pick. In fact, I’m willing to bet that they would’ve been mad regardless of whom the National Football League selected. At one point, Taylor Swift was rumored to be the headliner, and we all know how President Trump feels about her — she’s a “woke singer” who “is no longer hot.” Then there’s Kendrick Lamar, who upset many on the right last year when he reclaimed the American flag for Black people during his performance.
I expected the outrage. In fact, when I found out, I lamented that the announcement came while I was still on paternity leave and would therefore be unable to write about it in this space. Because surely, the news cycle would have moved on to something else.
But I was wrong. This story is about to be two weeks old and it still has legs.
“I’ve never heard of him. I don’t know who he is,” Trump said, channeling his inner Mariah Carey during an interview with Newsmax on Monday. “I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
(Must be a Nicky Jam fan, then. I hear “she’s hot.”)
Even the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), known pop culture maven, chimed in.
“I didn’t even know who Bad Bunny was. But it sounds like a terrible decision, in my view, from what I’m hearing,” Johnson said during an interview. “It sounds like he’s not someone who appeals to a broader audience. And there are so many eyes on the Super Bowl — a lot of young, impressionable children. And, in my view, you would have Lee Greenwood, or role models, doing that. Not somebody like this.”
Lee Greenwood? Be serious, Mike Johnson.
For the unfamiliar, Greenwood is best known for “God Bless the U.S.A.” and has had nearly as many marriages (five) as he’s had No. 1 hits on Billboard’s U.S. Hot Country Songs chart (seven). He clearly lacks the number of bangers to put together a solid halftime performance.
But wait, there’s more. Turning Point USA — the conservative nonprofit organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk — announced Thursday via social media that it was planning on counter-programming Bad Bunny’s performance and organizing its own Super Bowl halftime show with an artist (or artists) to be determined. The group also published a poll asking people to vote on what kind of act they wanted; with the first option being “Anything in English.” (I saw them at South by Southwest in 2012, and let me tell you — they were meh.)
If it seems like I’m making light of things, it’s because I am. The whole situation is absurd and the outrage feels manufactured. At best, it’s just fodder to feed into the bottomless right wing content machine, and at worst, it feels like a distraction from much bigger issues, like the government shutdown or the ongoing constitutional crisis playing out in cities such as Chicago and Portland, Ore.
And if right-wingers are genuinely about Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl, here’s an idea: Don’t watch. But that wouldn’t be very American, would it?
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A pair of thank yous
This week’s edition of the Latinx Files is my first one since coming back from paternity leave — a period in which I was fully able to bond with my baby and not think about work. This is in large part because of Suzy Exposito and Carlos de Loera, who handled the day-to-day operations of De Los and who wrote this weekly newsletter, respectively. Thank you both. I am eternally grateful.
Stories we read this week that we think you should read
Unless otherwise noted, stories below were published by the Los Angeles Times.
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- L.A. County considers declaring state of emergency to fight back against ICE raids.
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Ideas expressed in the piece
The backlash against Bad Bunny’s selection as the Super Bowl LX halftime performer is overblown and manufactured, with the controversy persisting nearly two weeks after the announcement despite Bad Bunny being one of the most popular and consequential artists on the planet. The criticism centers on three main points: his vocal opposition to immigration raids in the mainland and Puerto Rico, his primary use of Spanish in his music, and false claims that he is “not American,” which ignores the fact that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.
The outrage from conservatives is unsurprising and likely would have occurred regardless of which artist the NFL selected, whether it was Taylor Swift, whom President Trump has called a “woke singer,” or Kendrick Lamar, who upset many on the right last year when he reclaimed the American flag for Black people during his performance. This pattern suggests the controversy is less about the specific artist and more about broader political grievances.
The concern about ICE presence at the Super Bowl is disingenuous, as federal law enforcement agents have historically been present at high-profile events like the Copa America and previous Super Bowls, including the 2019 game where rapper 21 Savage was arrested by ICE in Atlanta. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s announcement that ICE would be present at the big game presents routine security measures as if they were a special response to Bad Bunny’s performance.
The suggestions for alternative performers, such as Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposal of Lee Greenwood, are absurd and unrealistic. Greenwood, best known for “God Bless the U.S.A.,” has had nearly as many marriages as No. 1 hits on Billboard’s U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and clearly lacks the catalog to deliver a compelling halftime performance. The whole situation feels like fodder for the right-wing content machine and a distraction from more pressing issues like the government shutdown and constitutional crises in cities like Chicago and Portland, Oregon.
If conservatives are genuinely upset about Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl, the simple solution is to not watch the halftime show, though choosing not to participate in a major American cultural event would itself be rather un-American.
Different views on the topic
Far-right commentators and MAGA influencers have characterized Bad Bunny as a “demonic Marxist” and attacked him for being critical of ICE raids, with some suggesting he is not American enough because he performs mainly in Spanish[1]. These critics have labeled him a “massive Trump hater” and an “anti-ICE activist,” while emphasizing that he has “no songs in English”[2].
President Trump has dismissed the NFL’s selection, claiming he has never heard of Bad Bunny and calling the decision “crazy” and “absolutely ridiculous”[2]. During the controversy, an adviser to Homeland Security even suggested that ICE agents might be dispatched to the Super Bowl during Bad Bunny’s performance, despite the fact that the Puerto Rican-born performer is a U.S. citizen and cannot legally be detained by ICE[1].
Conservative organizations have taken action beyond mere criticism, with Turning Point USA announcing plans to host an alternative “All-American Halftime Show” on the same night as the Super Bowl, promising to celebrate “faith, family & freedom”[2]. The organization conducted a poll asking what music genres people wanted to see featured, with the first option being “Anything in English”[2].
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson expressed concern that Bad Bunny “sounds like he’s not someone who appeals to a broader audience,” noting that “there are so many eyes on the Super Bowl — a lot of young, impressionable children” and suggesting that role models like Lee Greenwood would be more appropriate[2]. The recurring theme among critics is that Bad Bunny’s outspokenness about politics and his performance in Spanish demonstrate that he practices his art on his own terms, which some argue does not align with expectations for such a prominent American cultural event[1].
