The Halftime Show That Enraged President Trump
At the end of Bad Bunny’s halftime show during Sunday’s Super Bowl, an event watched by one of the largest audiences worldwide, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media platform Truth Social, saying that the Puerto Rican rapper’s performance was “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER,” and that it was an “affront to the Greatness of America.”
He commented that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying,” adding that the show “doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity or Excellence” and “is just a slap in the face to our Country…”
Clearly, this year’s halftime show, which Bad Bunny headlined at Levi’s Stadium in California, was one of the most impactful in the event’s history.
Many major TV networks, including NBC and Peacock*, broadcast the event. This Super Bowl also broke ratings records, attracting more than 135 million viewers. Bad Bunny’s performance was undoubtedly one of the most-watched halftime shows ever.
To give an idea of its importance, the price of a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl is now as high as $8 million.
The rapper was joined on stage by other famous artists, including Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, and Puerto Rican ensemble Los Pleneros de la Cresta.
Bad Bunny did not receive a standard paycheck for his performance, as has usually been the case for past headliners. Instead, the National Football League and its sponsors covered the substantial production costs, estimated to be tens of millions of dollars, with the artist using the global platform and audience to grow his brand and cultural influence.
Latino Pride
Bad Bunny’s show was full of messages of support for the Latino community. They come at a time when President Trump’s immigration policies — raids, mass detentions and aggressive deportations — have hit the community hard. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has scaled up its activities in neighborhoods, places of work and immigration courts, generating fear among Latin American families, as part of a “zero tolerance” approach to irregular immigration.
Thousands of Latino families have been separated by ICE’s frequent deportation operations. Fathers and children have been detained without warning, while hateful rhetoric has been normalized in political discourse. Racism is as prevalent and visible as ever.
The narrative pushed by the Trump administration has been so harsh that it has generated an undeniably polarized atmosphere.
While the Super Bowl halftime show has historically been dominated by the English language, Bad Bunny’s show, full of pro-Latino messages, was performed almost entirely in Spanish. Even though Latin American singers Shakira and Jennifer López performed at the event six years ago, their show was not as centered on the Hispanic market as this one.
This year’s event forged an aesthetic that represented and empowered society’s most marginalized people. Its performers defied traditional dress codes by wearing clothing inspired by street wear.
This was undoubtedly a show of Latino pride and resistance against discrimination. It was well-executed and achieved its objective. The most radical, conservative factions of the U.S. government were furious, so much so that they organized an “alternative” halftime show to be broadcast on social media.
Artists and influencers made videos to promote this alternative event, which they called the “All-American Halftime Show.” It was not a formal spectacle, but merely a political and cultural response to its official counterpart.
Through social media, online live streams and private events, they criticized Bad Bunny’s performance and labeled it a betrayal of traditional American values. Supporters of the Make America Great Again movement also tried to take a stance against the rapper’s “Latino power.” They collectively mobilized, attempting to turn the halftime show into a symbolic argument.
Trump’s supporters used this strategy to reinforce their political and cultural identity during the country’s most-watched sporting event. Clearly, they were not successful; Bad Bunny’s show was vibrant, powerful and cathartic. It was a celebration of Latin American music that conquered the world stage.
*Editor’s note: Peacock is NBC’s streaming service, not a separate network.
He commented that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying,” adding that the show “doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity or Excellence” and “is just a slap in the face to our Country…”
Clearly, this year’s halftime show, which Bad Bunny headlined at Levi’s Stadium in California, was one of the most impactful in the event’s history.
Many major TV networks, including NBC and Peacock*, broadcast the event. This Super Bowl also broke ratings records, attracting more than 135 million viewers. Bad Bunny’s performance was undoubtedly one of the most-watched halftime shows ever.
To give an idea of its importance, the price of a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl is now as high as $8 million.
The rapper was joined on stage by other famous artists, including Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, and Puerto Rican ensemble Los Pleneros de la Cresta.
Bad Bunny did not receive a standard paycheck for his performance, as has usually been the case for past headliners. Instead, the National Football League and its sponsors covered the substantial production costs, estimated to be tens of millions of dollars, with the artist using the global platform and audience to grow his brand and cultural influence.
Latino Pride
Bad Bunny’s show was full of messages of support for the Latino community. They come at a time when President Trump’s immigration policies — raids, mass detentions and aggressive deportations — have hit the community hard. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has scaled up its activities in neighborhoods, places of work and immigration courts, generating fear among Latin American families, as part of a “zero tolerance” approach to irregular immigration.
Thousands of Latino families have been separated by ICE’s frequent deportation operations. Fathers and children have been detained without warning, while hateful rhetoric has been normalized in political discourse. Racism is as prevalent and visible as ever.
The narrative pushed by the Trump administration has been so harsh that it has generated an undeniably polarized atmosphere.
While the Super Bowl halftime show has historically been dominated by the English language, Bad Bunny’s show, full of pro-Latino messages, was performed almost entirely in Spanish. Even though Latin American singers Shakira and Jennifer López performed at the event six years ago, their show was not as centered on the Hispanic market as this one.
This year’s event forged an aesthetic that represented and empowered society’s most marginalized people. Its performers defied traditional dress codes by wearing clothing inspired by street wear.
This was undoubtedly a show of Latino pride and resistance against discrimination. It was well-executed and achieved its objective. The most radical, conservative factions of the U.S. government were furious, so much so that they organized an “alternative” halftime show to be broadcast on social media.
Artists and influencers made videos to promote this alternative event, which they called the “All-American Halftime Show.” It was not a formal spectacle, but merely a political and cultural response to its official counterpart.
Through social media, online live streams and private events, they criticized Bad Bunny’s performance and labeled it a betrayal of traditional American values. Supporters of the Make America Great Again movement also tried to take a stance against the rapper’s “Latino power.” They collectively mobilized, attempting to turn the halftime show into a symbolic argument.
Trump’s supporters used this strategy to reinforce their political and cultural identity during the country’s most-watched sporting event. Clearly, they were not successful; Bad Bunny’s show was vibrant, powerful and cathartic. It was a celebration of Latin American music that conquered the world stage.
*Editor’s note: Peacock is NBC’s streaming service, not a separate network.
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