The fallout from Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show reportedly reached the White House as Donald Trump publicly slammed the performance during the game.
On Truth Social, Trump called Bunny’s performance “one of the worst ever.”
His reaction quickly became a new flashpoint in the already divided conversation around the Spanish-language, culture-driven show, with supporters and critics clashing over what the performance represented.
Donald Trump unloaded on social media as he slammed Bad Bunny’s halftime Super Bowl performance
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Before the game began, Trump posted a celebratory message about the country while watching the game from his Mar-a-Lago estate instead of attending in person.
“Enjoy the Super Bowl, America! Our Country is stronger, bigger, and better than ever before and, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!” he wrote on Truth Social.
Though he had earlier claimed he wanted to attend the game, reports suggested advisers were concerned about the possibility of him being booed in a packed stadium.
The POTUS later shared that the venue was simply “too far away.”
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Once the halftime show began, however, his tone changed dramatically.
“The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” he posted.
“It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America… Nobody understands a word this guy is saying.”
He continued, “This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country… There is nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show.”
Several MAGA allies and conservative figures came in support of Trump’s remarks and echoed the backlash
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Trump’s brutal words were amplified by several conservative voices who had already opposed Bunny’s selection months earlier.
Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski stated, “It’s so shameful they’ve decided to pick somebody who seems to hate America so much to represent them at the Halftime Show.”
“As someone who hasn’t listened to his music and doesn’t speak Spanish, that was pretty meh,” added Republican communicator Matt Whitlock.
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Another conservative commentator complained, “Was a single word of English spoken during the Super Bowl Halftime Show? Someone needs to tell Bad Bunny he’s in America.”
Some online reactions even tied the performance to immigration debates. “If we can learn anything from Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, it’s that we should be deporting even more people.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had also hinted before the game that Trump would prefer a “Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny.”
However, not everyone agreed with Trump’s criticism, as several fans pushed back and defended the halftime message by Bad Bunny
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Trump’s criticism sparked a second wave of reactions as several viewers defended the performance and called out the President.
“I saw diversity, family, marriage, intergenerational celebration, working hard, a small business, inclusivity, tradition, cooperation, all clothes on, and an American flag,” one commenter wrote.
Another added, “I loved the message that was conveyed throughout: ‘Together we are America.’”
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Some directly mocked Trump for his absence. “He just hates that he couldn’t go because they were going to boo him at the stadium lol,” said one.
“So he watched it? Couldn’t resist, could he?” asked another, while a third person quipped, “Nobody understands what your wife says either, yet here she is.”
The political divide mirrored the reaction to Bad Bunny’s performance
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The halftime show featured a mostly Spanish-language set, a Puerto Rico-inspired stage, and a unity message displayed on stadium screens.
“The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
While hosting SNL in October 2025, Bunny had framed the performance as a cultural milestone, claiming it as “a win for all the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors.”
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“It’s more than a win for myself; it’s a win for all of us. Our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had also defended the choice of selecting Bunny.
During a press conference on February 2, he said, “Bad Bunny is one of the great artists in the world, and that’s one of the reasons we chose him.”
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“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,” he continued.
“I think Bad Bunny understands that, and I think he’ll have a great performance.”
By the end of the night, Bunny’s performance had sparked two parallel debates- one about music and language, and another about politics and identity.
“When they say they won’t watch but then watch,” wrote one netizen
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