NEW YORK — President Donald Trump didn’t hold back when asked about the NFL’s choice of Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, calling the decision “absolutely ridiculous” and admitting he’d never even heard of the artist.
The 79-year-old commander-in-chief’s blunt dismissal during a Monday night appearance on Newsmax’s Greg Kelly Reports has amplified a growing MAGA meltdown over the announcement, with conservatives decrying the pick as a slap in the face to American values and fueling calls for boycotts and alternative performers.
Trump’s reaction came as host Greg Kelly grilled him on Bad Bunny’s selection for the February 8, 2026, show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
“I never heard of him, I don’t know who he is, I don’t know why they’re doing it, it’s like, crazy,” Trump said.
He speculated it was the fault of “some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment” and wrapped with a firm judgment: “I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
The NFL and Roc Nation revealed Bad Bunny as the headliner on September 28, 2025, during a Sunday Night Football broadcast, sparking immediate fury from right ‘extremists’.
Latin America Makes an Imprint
Bad Bunny, a 31-year-old reggaeton and trap sensation with over 107 billion Spotify streams and 49.5 million Instagram followers, has been vocal about his fears of ICE raids, telling i-D magazine last month, “Like, f—ing ICE could be outside [my concert].”
He skipped U.S. tour dates partly due to those concerns but embraced the Super Bowl gig with enthusiasm during his Saturday Night Live hosting debut on October 4, saying in Spanish, “All Latinos and Latinas all over the world, and here in the United States, all the people who have worked to open doors… More than an achievement of mine, it’s an achievement of everyone.”
Switching to English, he added, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn!”
That playful jab didn’t land well with MAGA heavyweights.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene fired off on X: “Bad Bunny says America has 4 months to learn Spanish before his perverse unwanted performance at the Super Bowl halftime. It would be a good time to pass my bill to make English the official language of America.”
Greene, who has widely been seen as one of the few ‘stable’ GOP members, has been criticized for her reactive comment.
Kelly himself had teed up the interview by slamming Bad Bunny as someone who “hates President Trump, hates ICE, hates the English language. He’s just a terrible person.”
Right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson labeled him a “massive Trump hater” and “anti-ICE activist,” while Megyn Kelly called the choice “a middle finger to MAGA and conservatives in this country.”
Bad Bunny’s audience is largely young and Latino.
Pew Research Center data from 2022 shows that Latino adults in the U.S. generally lean Democratic, with 60% stating the Democratic Party represents their interests versus 34% who say the same of the Republican Party.
ICE Gets Involved
The backlash escalated with threats of enforcement at the event.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned ICE would be “all over that place,” insisting, “You shouldn’t be coming to the Super Bowl unless you are a law-abiding American citizen.”
Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski echoed that, telling Johnson, “There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else.”
Some conservatives, like those proposing Christian rock band Creed as a replacement, even floated NFL boycotts.
Despite the hate, most conservatives simply want to enjoy the event, removing politics from entertainment.
In a February 2023 Ipsos survey, 44% of Democrats and 45% of Republicans considered themselves fans of the NFL.
An LA Times and UC Berkely IGS poll that paints a picture of how Americans in California feel about immigration policies that intrude in daily life activities.
For example, 47% of Republicans disagreed with the statement that “ICE agents should expand immigration enforcement into schools, hospitals, parks and other public locations.”
A July 2025 Gallup poll also found that 59% of Republicans support a path to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally.
This means nearly half of Republicans do not want ICE interference in daily lives, and more than half of Republicans support illegal immigrants the right to a path to citizenship.
Entertainment Industry Unites Americans
Bad Bunny’s representatives didn’t respond to requests for comment, but his SNL monologue poked fun at the controversy, quipping that even Fox News was happy about the gig.
The selection, part of Roc Nation’s partnership with the NFL, celebrates Latino representation—Bad Bunny previously guested at the 2020 Super Bowl with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira—but in Trump’s America, it’s become a cultural flashpoint, blending music, immigration politics, and partisan feud.
As the Super Bowl approaches, Americans should be reminded of what brings us together, setting politics aside, and simply looking at American culture through the other side of the coin as it continues to evolve.
It’s important to remember most conservatives don’t have a problem with this, it’s the far-right extremists.
Also Read: Republicans Face Growing Backlash as Voters Blame Them for Govt. Shutdown
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