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Former Republican Ohio governor and 2016 Republican presidential candidate John Kasich praised the Super Bowl LX halftime show performance by Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny in a Sunday X post.

The National Football League’s (NFL) decision for Bad Bunny — who almost exclusively raps in Spanish — to headline the show sparked significant backlash from the right, prompting prominent conservative student organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA) to host its own alternative halftime performance. Kasich stated in an X post during the game that he loved Bad Bunny’s performance which he said “celebrates Latino culture,” adding that the artist “hit a grand slam home run.”

Bad Bunny’s halftime performance, which was in Spanish apart from a cameo appearance by singer Lady Gaga, took place inside a farm field set where many actors portrayed laborers tending to the crops. The performance also showcased street vendors selling food and jewelry and a grocery store set with a sizable neon sign reading “We accept EBT.”

The performance ended with the rapper, whose real name is Benito Martínez Ocasio, saying “God Bless America,” followed by naming a host of countries in the Western Hemisphere including the U.S., Latin American nations, non-Hispanic Caribbean nations and Canada.

Many X users criticized Kasich’s praise for the halftime performance. Former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher John Rocker replied to the former governor writing, “Bad Bunny’s performance was just as successful as your run for president.”

Kasich unsuccessfully ran in the 2016 presidential election, only winning his home state of Ohio in the Republican primary. He was the final GOP primary candidate still challenging Trump before dropping his presidential bid in May 2016.

President Donald Trump criticized the Super Bowl LX halftime performance in a Truth Social post saying it was “an affront to the Greatness of America” and that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching.”

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Kasich became a notable Trump critic following his primary loss and famously delivered a speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC) endorsing then-nominee Joe Biden and telling the audience the election was a “crossroads” for the nation. Kasich said at the time re-electing Trump would have “consequences for America’s soul” and saying Trump’s first term has been “a path that led to division, dysfunction, irresponsibility and growing vitriol between citizens.”

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