The Super Bowl LX halftime show headlined by Latin trap star Bad Bunny drew a wave of backlash Sunday night, with critics calling it divisive, inappropriate and out of touch with much of the American audience.
President Donald Trump led the criticism, blasting the performance as a low point in Super Bowl history.
“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. 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 wrote on Truth Social.
“This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day — including the Best Stock Market and 401(k)s in History! 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 — And, by the way, the NFL should immediately replace its ridiculous new Kickoff Rule. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Prominent conservative commentators echoed Donald Trump’s frustration, and even Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon weighed in online as criticism spread across social media.
One of the most common complaints centered on the performance being almost entirely in Spanish, a first for a Super Bowl halftime show. Some viewers also tied the show to the broader national debate over illegal immigration and ongoing deportations carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Others took issue with the imagery and costuming. Bad Bunny wore a mock football jersey reading “Ocasio 64,” a reference some viewers interpreted as political. The number was linked by critics to early claims about the death toll from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, figures that were later revised upward to nearly 3,000.
The show closed with a message displayed on the stadium video board reading, “The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate is Love,” which some critics viewed as another political statement injected into a sporting event.
Not everyone objected. Former NFL star J.J. Watt and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson were among those who praised the performance. Pop star Lady Gaga also appeared briefly to sing the Bruno Mars song “Die With a Smile,” breaking expectations that the entire set would be in Spanish.
Still, a significant number of fans opted out altogether. Many tuned instead to Turning Point USA’s alternative “All-American” halftime show, headlined by Kid Rock. Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson and Brett Favre, along with former ESPN host Sage Steele, were among those who promoted the patriotic broadcast.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the president’s viewing plans.
🚨 KAROLINE LEAVITT’S PERFECT 🫳🏼🎤
“I think the president would much prefer a Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny!”
America wants Kid Rock!
pic.twitter.com/QJvPXyHoKz— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) February 5, 2026
“I think the president would much prefer a Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny. I must say that,” Leavitt told reporters.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the league’s decision earlier in the week.
“Listen, Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world and that’s one of the reasons we chose him,” Goodell said. “But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on and this platform is used to unite people and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talents and to be able to use this moment to do that and I think artists in the past have done that.
“I think Bad Bunny understands that and I think he’ll have a great performance.”
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