Trump attacks Super Bowl halftime show after Bad Bunny centers Latino culture on football’s biggest stage

The president’s criticism of the Spanish-language halftime show came as the performance received strong reviews and high-profile public support.

If there was one thing President Donald Trump couldn’t let slide on Super Bowl Sunday, it was the halftime show.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump unloaded on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance, calling it “absolutely terrible” and “one of the worst, EVER!” The show leaned heavily into Spanish-language music and Latino culture, a choice that has drawn months of right-wing backlash since the NFL announced the Puerto Rican superstar as its headliner.

Trump framed the performance as an insult to the country itself, calling it an “affront to the Greatness of America” and claiming it failed to meet America’s “standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.” He did not explain what those standards were or how the show missed them.

Much of Trump’s frustration appeared to center on language. Complaining that most of the set was performed in Spanish, he wrote, “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying.” He also took aim at the choreography, describing the dancing as “disgusting,” particularly for children watching at home, again without specifying what crossed the line.

The post veered quickly into self-praise, with Trump citing what he called his administration’s “Best Stock Market” and labeling Bad Bunny’s performance a “slap in the face” to that success. Notably, the singer made no direct references to Trump, his policies, or his administration during the show.

Trump also predicted the media would celebrate the performance anyway, a forecast that proved accurate, arguing that critics “haven’t got a clue of what is going on in the REAL WORLD.”

And because no Trump sports rant is complete without it, he closed by revisiting a familiar grievance with the National Football League. The president complained about the league’s revamped kickoff rule, introduced in 2024 and tweaked in 2025 to reduce injuries and increase returns. He previously blasted the rule on “The Pat McAfee Show,” saying it was “demeaning” and “hurts the pageantry” of the game.

While Trump blasted the NFL’s main broadcast, conservative group Turning Point USA aired its own “All-American Halftime Show” headlined by Kid Rock. Trump did not mention the event, and it remains unclear whether he watched it.

The livestream reportedly drew millions of views after the fact, though it also faced criticism online, including mockery over Kid Rock’s performance, which some viewers accused of being poorly lip-synced. Others noted a discrepancy between the likes and views on the YouTube stream.

Political leaders and entertainers quickly weighed in on Bad Bunny’s performance. Supporters framed the moment as a celebration of Latino culture on one of the biggest stages in American entertainment, while critics echoed Trump’s complaints about language and presentation.

Several high-profile figures praised the performance publicly, highlighting its message of inclusion and representation. Others used the moment to reignite long-standing debates about patriotism, culture, and who gets to define what an “American” halftime show should look like.

Bad Bunny’s set featured appearances from several major artists and actors, including Cardi B, Becky G, and Jessica Alba, turning the halftime show into a sprawling cultural showcase. One moment that drew particular attention involved the singer handing a Grammy trophy to a young child on stage, which briefly sparked online speculation about a political message before it was clarified that the child was an actor and the gesture was meant to inspire young viewers.

Beyond the guest appearances and choreography, Bad Bunny used the moment to deliver a message centered on self-belief and perseverance.

During a performance of “Monaco,” he paused to speak directly to the audience in Spanish, saying, “Si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí. Tú también deberías de creer en ti.”

Translated, the message reads: If I am here at Super Bowl 60 today, it is because I never, ever stopped believing in myself. You should believe in yourself, too.

He continued, “Vales más de lo que piensas. Confía en mí” or “You are worth more than you think. Trust me.”

The sentiment was underscored visually when Bad Bunny handed his Grammy Artist of the Year award to a young boy on stage, a moment meant to represent himself as a child and to encourage young viewers watching at home.

The performance also included an unscripted moment that surprised viewers: an on-stage wedding that turned out to be real. The couple had originally invited Bad Bunny to their ceremony but instead exchanged vows during the halftime show.

For Trump, the night became another front in a familiar culture war. For millions of viewers, the lasting image was something else entirely: a global superstar using the Super Bowl stage to tell people, especially those who rarely see themselves centered there, that they are worth more than they think and that belief can carry them all the way to the biggest stage in the world.