The NFLâs latest halftime show pick has the MAGA world seeing red.
On Sunday night, the league dropped a bombshell: Bad Bunny â the Grammy-winning, Spanish-language sensation and outspoken Trump critic â is headlining the 2026 Super Bowl in California. The Puerto Rican artist celebrated the moment as a win for âmy people, my culture, and our history.â But for many conservatives, it sounded like another woke playbook call from the NFL and its corporate partner, Jay-Zâs Roc Nation.
Within minutes of the announcement, the backlash erupted online.
âThis isnât about uniting fans â itâs a political stunt,â said conservative commentator Robby Starbuck. âThe NFL knows exactly what itâs doing. This is a cultural statement, not a musical one.â Starbuck wasnât alone. Dan OâDonnell, a conservative radio host, blasted Bad Bunnyâs sudden change of heart. âHe said he wouldnât tour in the U.S. out of fear ICE would target fans â but now heâs fine doing the Super Bowl?â he wrote.
Trump himself hasnât yet weighed in on Bad Bunnyâs halftime spot, but he did take aim at another NFL change, torching the new kickoff format on Truth Social: âHard to watch the new NFL kickoff. Itâs wrong on every level. They should end it, immediately. Bad for the game of football!â
Meanwhile, supporters of Bad Bunny see the halftime gig as a cultural victory lap â and a possible political stage. In fact, his recent song NUEVAYoL even features a Trump-like voice apologizing to immigrants. The performance is already being hyped by left-wing fans as a âhuge F.U.â to Trump and his America First base.
Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation has overseen the NFLâs halftime selections since 2019, praised the decision, saying, âWhat Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring.â
But that inspiration isnât shared by many conservative fans who feel the league is continuing to alienate its core audience.
âDoes this guy scream American football to anyone?â Starbuck posted. âBe for real. No one thinks he does.â
Erick Klambara, a Pennsylvania-based podcaster, summed up the sentiment like this: âHaving Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl Halftime Show is the equivalent of having Morgan Wallen at a soccer game in Mexico.â
The growing sense on the right is that the NFL has abandoned neutral ground in favor of leftist messaging, even during Americaâs most iconic sporting event. And while liberals cheer the cultural symbolism, many conservatives are left asking the same question: Is the Super Bowl now just another stage for progressive politics?
However, the NFL knows one thing: conservatives will not abandon them because if they havenât by now, they wonât.
With Trump expected to attend again â just like he did in New Orleans â and Bad Bunny likely to have something to say beyond music, Februaryâs big game is shaping up to be more than a clash of football titans. It may be a full-blown culture war showdown.