In a scathing critique, President Trump took to Truth Social to express his disdain for Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, labeling it “an affront to the Greatness of America.”
“The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence,” Trump declared shortly after the performance concluded.
This outburst coincided with the online streaming of Turning Point USA’s “All-American” halftime show, featuring Kid Rock, which attracted around four million viewers. This alternative event was organized in response to the NFL's choice of performers.
Typically, Super Bowl halftime shows draw an audience of about 127 million, with Kendrick Lamar setting a record last year at 133.5 million viewers.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, made history as the first male solo Latin artist to headline the halftime show and the first to perform entirely in Spanish.
During his performance, he received a ball inscribed with “Together, we are America,” while a message on the big screen proclaimed: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” Yet, this theme of unity did not resonate with Trump.
“Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World,” Trump fumed.
He further criticized the show as “a slap in the face” to a nation achieving new records daily, including in stock market performance. “There is nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show and watch, it will get great reviews from the Fake News Media, because they haven’t got a clue of what is going on in the REAL WORLD,” he added.
It remains unclear if Trump tuned into the Turning Point USA event; however, his comments suggest he was keenly aware of Bad Bunny’s performance.
Meanwhile, Trump hosted a Super Bowl watch party at his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida, as indicated by his public schedule.
Last week, he hinted that Bad Bunny’s selection was a factor in his decision to skip attending the game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” he remarked regarding Bad Bunny and Green Day, who opened the event.
Both artists have been vocal critics of Trump’s immigration policies; however, Green Day maintained a low profile during their performance.
After Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime headliner last year, Trump dismissed the choice as “absolutely ridiculous,” claiming he had never heard of the artist.
This story is still developing; further updates will follow.
