Trump Denounces Bad Bunny's Historic Super Bowl Performance as 'Affront to America'
Former President Donald Trump has unleashed a furious tirade against Bad Bunny's groundbreaking Super Bowl halftime show, branding the Puerto Rican superstar's Spanish-language performance "a slap in the face to our country." In a lengthy Truth Social post approximately thirty minutes after the show concluded, Trump declared the performance "absolutely terrible" and claimed it failed to represent American standards of success and excellence.
Conservative Alternative Show Draws Minimal Viewership
Trump's explosive criticism emerged as Turning Point USA's "All-American" alternative halftime show, featuring Kid Rock, attracted just four million viewers through online streaming. This protest event was organized in opposition to the NFL's official selection, yet it garnered a fraction of the typical halftime audience. The average Super Bowl halftime show commands approximately 127 million viewers, with last year's Kendrick Lamar performance setting a record at 133.5 million.
Bad Bunny made history as the first male solo Latin artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, delivering his entire set in Spanish without English translation. During his performance's conclusion, the artist received a football inscribed with "Together, we are America" while stadium screens displayed the message: "The only thing more powerful than hate is love."
Trump's Detailed Critique of Performance Content
The former president's social media outburst specifically targeted the performance's linguistic and visual elements. "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," Trump asserted in his characteristic capitalized style.
Trump further contended that the show lacked inspirational qualities while predicting favorable coverage from what he termed "the Fake News Media." He contrasted the performance with what he described as America's current achievements, including "the Best Stock Market and 401(k)s in History."
Political Context and Previous Criticism
This controversy follows Trump's earlier criticism of both Bad Bunny and opening act Green Day, artists who have publicly opposed his administration's immigration policies. Last week, Trump stated he was "anti-them" and suggested their selection contributed to his decision to avoid attending the game at Levi's Stadium in California.
Instead, the former president hosted a Super Bowl watch party at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. When the NFL initially announced Bad Bunny as headliner last year, Trump dismissed the choice as "absolutely ridiculous" and claimed unfamiliarity with the Grammy-winning artist.
While it remains unclear whether Trump viewed the conservative alternative halftime show, his detailed critique confirms he watched the official performance featuring Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, professionally known as Bad Bunny. The artist's historic Spanish-language set and its political undertones have ignited a national conversation about cultural representation in America's most-watched sporting event.
