NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has defended the choice of Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny as the headline performer for the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show, despite criticism from conservative figures including former US President Donald Trump.
Goodell told the Associated Press: “It’s carefully thought through. I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching… We’re confident it’s going to be a great show. He understands the platform that he’s on, and I think it’s going to be exciting and a united moment.”
The announcement, made on 28 September by Apple Music and the NFL, drew criticism from some quarters because Bad Bunny primarily sings in Spanish. Trump called the selection “absolutely ridiculous” in a NewsMax interview, adding that he had not heard of the singer. His former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, threatened that ICE agents would be present at the Super Bowl, warning that there would be “no safe haven” for people in the US illegally.
Kristi Noem, head of the Department of Homeland Security, echoed Lewandowski’s comments, saying on a podcast that ICE would be “all over that place” and would “enforce the law”. Bad Bunny recently told I-D magazine that fear of ICE raids contributed to his decision not to tour the US as part of his 2026 world tour, making the Super Bowl his only US concert appearance that year.
An online petition calling for the NFL to replace Bad Bunny with country singer George Strait has gained traction, and the right-wing group Turning Point USA plans to host its own alternative halftime show in protest. However, many musicians have voiced support for Bad Bunny, including Shakira, who performed with him in a previous Super Bowl show. She told Variety: “I’m so proud that Bad Bunny, who represents not only Latin culture but also how important Spanish language music has become on a global scale… is getting to perform on the biggest stage in the world.”
