The Far Right Slams Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Gig Over Anti-Trump Stances
Topline
Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican rapper-singer set to headline next year’s Super Bowl halftime show, stoked anger from right-wing commentators after the NFL announced he would take the massive stage in February, pointing to his frequent criticisms of President Donald Trump and his administration’s immigration raids.
Bad Bunny will take the stage at next year’s Super Bowl halftime show. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Key Facts
The NFL announced late Sunday night Bad Bunny would headline music’s most lucrative gig, which typically draws more than 100 million viewers, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, in February.
Benny Johnson, a right-wing Daily Wire commentator, slammed the musician in a post on X, calling him a “massive Trump hater” and an “anti-ICE activist” who has “no songs in English.”
Johnson criticized Bad Bunny for skipping the United States, aside from his native Puerto Rico, on his last tour, which the rapper previously said was because he feared Immigrations and Customs Enforcement would target his fans.
Jack Posobiec, a far-right activist and conspiracy theorist, criticized the choice of Bad Bunny and blamed “Barack Obama’s best friend Jay-Z,” whose entertainment company Roc Nation has an exclusive partnership with the NFL to produce the Super Bowl halftime show.
“End Wokeness,” a right-wing X account with 4 million followers, posted a picture of Bad Bunny wearing earrings and a dress to mock the musician, though he has often defied gender norms through his clothing.
Robby Starbuck, a music video director-turned-anti-diversity, equity and inclusion activist, alleged Bad Bunny “seemingly hates White people” because of a comment he made in an interview in 2022—“I highly doubt the type of gringos I don’t f— with listen to me”—and Starbuck directed his nearly 1 million X followers to file complaints to the NFL.
Mario Nawfal, a right-wing commentator with more than 2.6 million X followers, alleged the “average halftime viewer in Des Moines doesn’t speak fluent reggaeton,” slamming the NFL for giving the “half-time stage to an artist who doesn’t sing in the dominant language, won’t tour here because of immigration policy, and openly despises a leading presidential candidate.”
Which Celebrities And Politicians Have Praised Bad Bunny?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom embraced Bad Bunny’s halftime gig, writing in a post on X: “California is excited to welcome you to Super Bowl LX.” The account for Newsom’s press office, which has in recent months focused on trolling Trump and Republicans, mocked Johnson in a post on X: “Benny calm down, we all know you listen to Bad Bunny lol 💅.” The hosts of “The View” on Monday praised Bad Bunny’s selection and slammed right-wing critics of his halftime gig. “A lot of the MAGA folks apparently are very upset with the NFL. But they’re upset all the time,” Whoopi Goldberg said, adding, “Another great American performer is going to be performing. I don’t see the problem. Because y’all do remember Puerto Rico is part of the United States.” Many fellow musicians praised Bad Bunny, including Jennifer Lopez, who headlined the Super Bowl in 2020 and brought out Bad Bunny as a guest. “Now it’s your turn !!!!! bori gang lets gooooo,” Lopez, who was born to a Puerto Rican family, posted on X. Gloria Estefan, who has performed at the Super Bowl twice, praised Bad Bunny on “The Sherri Shepherd Show” on Monday. “I think we need Latino representation in this particular moment,” Estefan said. Former Super Bowl performers Bruno Mars and Shakira also shared posts of support Monday, while other artists who praised the musician include Jelly Roll, Diplo and Saweetie.
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