President Donald Trump panned Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show as “one of the worst, EVER!” in a Truth Social post Sunday night following the hotly anticipated performance.
“It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence,” Trump posted. “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting.”
“This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day,” he continued.
Despite his long track record of political statements, Bad Bunny steered clear of any overt commentary during his performance, sticking to the lyrics of his most popular songs from his latest album.
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At the performance’s conclusion, Bad Bunny waved a large Puerto Rican flag shaded light-blue, a symbol used by many of the island’s pro-independence groups. When the territory became a U.S. commonwealth in 1952, the flag was changed to more closely reflect that of the United States’.
The performance ended with Bad Bunny leading a massive parade of background dancers carrying the flags of Latin American countries, set to the backdrop of a large billboard reading, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
The artist closed the show carrying a football that read, “Together, we are America.”
Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is the NFL’s first Spanish-language artist to headline its popular halftime show. The Puerto Rican reggaeton artist is coming off Grammy wins, where he brought home three awards, and recently concluded a one-month residency in Puerto Rico that generated more than $700 million for the island’s economy.
In his Grammy acceptance speech, Bad Bunny opened by saying: “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out!”
“We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens,” he said. “We are humans and we are Americans.”
Conservatives and Trump allies were not shy about protesting the NFL’s choice for halftime performer, attacking him as anti-American and even organizing an “alternative” halftime performance to rebuke the NFL for its choice of entertainment.
More than 5 million viewers tuned in to Turning Point USA’s alternative slate of performers, headlined by Kid Rock, a longtime friend of Trump’s. Several prominent Republicans were among the viewership, according to posts to social media Sunday night.
“OVER 5 MILLION PEOPLE are currently watching TPUSA’s halftime show,” South Carolina Republican Rep. William Timmons posted. “Patriots are taking the culture back in real time.”
Arizona Rep. Eli Crane also shouted out TPUSA’s version of the halftime show, posting “Thank you, @TPUSA. This is how it’s done @NFL.”
“Turning Point USA just put on an incredible halftime show full of PATRIOTS who love this country,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville posted.
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