Former President Donald Trump has issued a sharply worded critique of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime performance, while remaining conspicuously silent regarding the conservative counter-programming show organised by Turning Point USA. This notable omission comes despite the event featuring performers like Kid Rock, who is known to be a political ally of the former president.
Trump's Focus on Mainstream Halftime Show
Videos emerging from President Trump's Super Bowl watch party at Mar-a-Lago clearly displayed Bad Bunny's performance on the large screens, indicating his attention was directed towards the mainstream NFL broadcast. On Sunday evening, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to deliver a scathing assessment of the halftime spectacle.
'The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!' Trump declared in his social media post. 'It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.'
The former president further elaborated his criticism, stating: 'Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the USA, and all over the World.'
Conservative Alternative Receives No Presidential Endorsement
Turning Point USA announced its 'All American Halftime Show' following conservative outrage over the selection of Bad Bunny, whom they labelled a 'woke' Puerto Rican singer performing in Spanish. The conservative production featured prominent performers including Kid Rock alongside country music artists Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett.
Despite this lineup seemingly catering to conservative tastes, there exists no indication that President Trump watched the TPUSA broadcast. When questioned by the Daily Mail regarding whether the former president tuned into the conservative alternative, the White House forwarded only Trump's social media critique of Bad Bunny's performance without addressing the TPUSA show directly.
Political Implications and Viewership Contrast
President Trump's apparent disregard for the TPUSA production represents a significant setback for the conservative organisation's attempt to draw viewers away from the NFL's mainstream broadcast. This is particularly noteworthy given Trump's established relationship with Kid Rock, who has made multiple public appearances with the former president, including a visit to the Oval Office last year and attendance at UFC 296 in 2023.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had previously suggested Trump would likely prefer the conservative alternative, stating last week: 'I think the president would much prefer a Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny. I must say that.'
Viewership Numbers Tell Divergent Stories
The TPUSA broadcast achieved a peak of 6.1 million concurrent viewers on its YouTube channel during Sunday evening, according to reports from The Athletic. By stark contrast, preliminary estimates indicate Bad Bunny's halftime performance attracted between 135 and 142 million viewers, potentially making it the most-watched halftime show in Super Bowl history.
This would surpass the record set during Super Bowl 59, when Kendrick Lamar's performance drew over 133 million viewers. Final ratings for Bad Bunny's show are anticipated later this week, but early indications suggest historic viewership numbers.
Public Preference and Political Alignments
A YouGov poll released on Friday revealed that 35 percent of American respondents expressed preference for Bad Bunny's halftime show, compared to just 28 percent who indicated greater interest in the TPUSA production featuring Kid Rock. This demonstrates that a substantial portion of the American public favoured the mainstream entertainment over the conservative alternative.
Trump maintains close connections with TPUSA leadership, including Erika Kirk, widow of the organisation's late founder Charlie Kirk. Despite these relationships and the conservative nature of the TPUSA event, the former president's public commentary focused exclusively on criticising the mainstream halftime performance while offering no endorsement or commentary regarding the conservative counter-programming effort.
