President Donald Trump has criticised Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show, calling the performance “absolutely terrible” and “one of the worst, EVER,” in a lengthy post published shortly after the set ended on Sunday night in Santa Clara, California.
Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, headlined the halftime show at Levi’s Stadium as the Seattle Seahawks faced the New England Patriots. His set leaned heavily into Spanish-language music and Caribbean and Latin American imagery, including a sequence in which he was shown moving through a field of sugarcane and a closing tableau that highlighted flags from across the Americas.
Trump, who did not attend the game, posted his reaction on Truth Social. “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,” he wrote.
In the same post, Trump attacked both the language and choreography of the performance, writing: “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.”
He also described the halftime show as “a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country,” and added commentary about the economy before turning his attention to on-field rules, writing: “And, by the way, the NFL should immediately replace its ridiculous new Kickoff Rule. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Trump’s remarks followed weeks of public criticism of the Super Bowl’s entertainment lineup. In an interview ahead of the game, he said he opposed the selection of Bad Bunny and pregame performers, telling the New York Post: “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.”
Bad Bunny’s appearance at the Super Bowl was framed by some supporters as a milestone for Spanish-language music on one of the world’s biggest television stages, while conservative critics had argued the NFL was prioritising artists whose politics or identity they opposed. Bad Bunny has previously drawn attention for speaking out on issues connected to Puerto Rico and to US immigration enforcement, and his selection as headliner prompted backlash that continued into game day.
During the halftime broadcast, the performance included messaging around unity and inclusion. A large display behind the performer carried the line, “The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate is Love,” and the closing shot included Bad Bunny holding a football bearing the words: “Together we are America.”
ABC News reported that, early in the show, Bad Bunny referenced his personal journey to the Super Bowl stage, saying in a translated line: “It’s because I never, never stopped believing in myself, and you too, you too … should believe in yourself.”
The set itself featured a medley of Bad Bunny’s catalogue and a series of guest appearances and on-field dancers that turned the stadium into a concert-like production during the break in play. Entertainment Weekly reported the performance ran for roughly 13 minutes and included multiple songs from across his career, alongside cameo moments involving celebrity guests.
Trump’s criticism quickly became a focus of online debate, with supporters of the president amplifying his complaints about language, taste and the suitability of the performance for families watching. Others defended the show as a celebration of Puerto Rican culture and of Spanish as a widely spoken language in the United States, with fans pointing to the closing visuals and slogans as a rebuttal to the president’s characterisation of the event.
While Trump framed the show as politically charged, the halftime performance itself did not feature a direct political speech. Instead, it relied on imagery and short lines displayed on stadium boards, culminating in the “hate” and “love” message and the “Together we are America” football prop.
Bad Bunny’s career has been defined by breaking into mainstream US pop culture while continuing to release predominantly Spanish-language music. He is one of the most commercially successful Latin artists of the streaming era and has won multiple Grammy awards. The Super Bowl slot was widely viewed in the music industry as a high-profile moment for an artist whose sound has remained rooted in reggaeton, Latin trap and pop, even as he has crossed into English-language collaborations and global touring.
For the NFL, the halftime show has long been both a major entertainment draw and a frequent source of political flashpoints, particularly when artists incorporate social themes or imagery into performances watched by a massive audience. Trump’s post revived that pattern, expanding beyond criticism of the show itself to include a complaint about league rules, a move that suggested he was using the moment to argue with the NFL as an institution as well as with the performer.
The White House did not immediately issue a separate statement beyond Trump’s social media post. The NFL also did not immediately respond publicly to Trump’s comments about the halftime show or the kickoff rule referenced in his message. Bad Bunny did not publicly address Trump’s remarks in the hours after the performance, as reaction continued to spread across social media and comment threads tied to clips and headlines about the show.
