Right-wingers are making their feelings known after Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny was announced as the Super Bowl halftime show act. It will be his only show in the US for his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour, and you can expect it to be lively, loud, and Latin. Conservative Americans are reacting to the announcement, saying that the “NFL is self-destructing year after year” and critiquing the artist selection, complaining that Bad Bunny has “no songs in English.”

He’s just finished a sold-out month-long residency at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, and on Sunday, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS became the first album of 2025 to surpass seven billion streams on Spotify. 

Earlier this month, he spoke about why he had no US dates in his upcoming world tour. In an interview with i-D, the artist, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was asked if the reason he did not schedule any tour dates in the US was due to concerns about the mass deportation of Latinos.

“Man, honestly, yes,” he replied. “There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate—I’ve performed there many times. All of [the shows] have been successful. All of them have been magnificent. I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the US, but specifically, for a residency here in Puerto Rico, when we are an unincorporated territory of the US…”

“People from the US could come here to see the show,” Bad Bunny added. “Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the US could also travel here, or to any part of the world. But there was the issue of—like, fucking ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”

Following the Super Bowl announcement, Donald Trump fans were angered that a vocal critic of the president’s agenda will play the halftime show. With conservative media personality @bennyjohnson writing on X: “This is Bad Bunny. He was just announced as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. Massive Trump hater. Anti-ICE activist. No songs in English. He even cancelled his entire US tour for this reason: ‘F***ing ICE could be outside my concert. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.’ The NFL is self-destructing year after year.” 

This is Bad Bunny.

He was just announced as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.

– Massive Trump hater
– Anti-ICE activist
– No songs in English

He even canceled his entire U.S. tour for this reason: “F***ing ICE could be outside my concert. And it’s something that we were… pic.twitter.com/11KvuSWnEH

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 29, 2025

Alt-right political activist @JackPosobiec took to X, conspiring: “Barack Obama’s best friend Jay-Z runs the Super Bowl selection process through his company Roc Nation, which has an exclusive contract with the NFL. This is who chooses the halftime show, the most-watched musical performance in America.”

Barack Obama’s best friend Jay-Z runs the Super Bowl selection process through his company Roc Nation which has an exclusive contract with the NFL. This is who chooses the halftime show, the most-watched musical performance in America

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) September 29, 2025

With another X user, @greg_price11, saying that “the NFL chose Bad Bunny to perform the Super Bowl halftime show despite the fact that he recently said he wouldn’t perform in the continental US again because ICE is deporting illegal aliens.”

The NFL chose Bad Bunny to perform the Super Bowl halftime show despite the fact that he recently said he wouldn’t perform in the continental United States again because ICE is deporting illegal aliens.
pic.twitter.com/ZTGoYCLUrj

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 29, 2025

But Bad Bunny fans are coming through in support, commenting on the Instagram announcement: “Heard there’s a football game during Bad Bunny’s concert?????” and “I guess we’re watching football now.” 

 

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A post shared by Benito Antonio (@badbunnypr)

The reality in the US is that Latinos are facing extreme challenges right now due to Trump’s agenda. New figures from the government’s Deportation Data Project, as reported by think tank Cato Institute, show that one in five ICE arrests are Latinos on the streets with no criminal past or removal order. So artists like Bad Bunny, who has that global superstar status and who has just secured one of the biggest gigs in the world, should continue to speak out about ICE when it so directly affects much of his fanbase. 

And actually, as league sources confirmed to NPR, Latino NFL viewers (both English- and Spanish-speaking) have spiked by 11 per cent. It says: “Spanish broadcasts alone have jumped 34 per cent compared with previous years. Those numbers are good enough to outpace any other demographic of measurable fan growth.” 

So, while some conservative football fans may have a problem with the choice of this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, Bad Bunny continues to do what he does best, and that’s give us a good time.