Trump said he “had never heard of” Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny in 2026. But the reggaeton superstar has been speaking out about Trump’s immigration crackdown and how he responds to the Puerto Rico hurricane.
Bad bunny performing at California’s Super Bowl LX Halftime Show
Bad Bunny will perform at the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show in Santa Clara, California, he announced on social media.
You probably have never heard of Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio. But you probably know him by his stage name, Bad Bunny.
Unless you’re President Donald Trump.
On October 6, Trump told News Max’s Greg Kelly that he “had never heard of Bud Bunny, the Puerto Rican music megastar, which was recently announced as the headlining of the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
In an interview with Trump, Kelly claimed that Bud Bunny “hate ice” and that “denies everything he doesn’t like racism.” The conservative news host also pushed the president whether viewers should boycott the NFL for their choice of Super Bowl halftime entertainer.
In response, Trump said: “I’ve never heard of him. I don’t know who he is, I don’t know why they’re doing it, it’s crazy. And they blame the promoters they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
A reggaeton superstar who sings almost exclusively in Spanish, Bad Bunny is one of the most popular music artists in the world. He was Spotify’s most streamed artist for three years from 2020 to 2022. His sixth studio album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” — this is a love letter to Puerto Rico, where he spent the week at number one on the Billboard 200 Album Chart earlier this year.
Here’s how Trump and Bud Bunny have clashed politically and culturally over the years:
Bad Bunny vs Trump’s immigration policy
The Trump administration has enacted a widespread immigrant raid and rollback on immigrant protection. And Bud Bunny wasn’t silent about it.
Bad Bunny did not schedule US appearances for his latest world tour, including stops at Latin America, Australia, Europe and Japan. Prior to the tour, he held a residency in Puerto Rico from July 11th to September 14th, bringing thousands of fans from around the world to the island.
In an interview published on September 10, Bad Bunny said immigration and customs enforcement crackdowns were part of the reasons he chose not to bring the tour to the US
“There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, but none of them left the hatred,” he told ID Magazine. “…but there was a problem like (exped) ice, like (my concert), which is something we were talking about and was very concerned about.”
“Nuevayol” music video clearly swipes with a playing card
Bud Bunny also appears to have issued a previously pointed statement about Trump’s anti-immigration policy in the music video for his song “Nuevayor,” the first track from his latest album. After showing the Puerto Rican flag hanging on the Statue of Liberty’s forehead, the voice that sounds like a play from Trump’s radio sounds like this:
“I made a mistake. I want to apologise to the American immigrants,” the voice says. “…I want to say there’s nothing without immigration. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans…”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku5v5wzvcve
Maga Allies criticize Super Bowl halftime choice
Several Trump allies have criticised the NFL choice as the Bad Bunny was announced as a Super Bowl headliner.
Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager and current advisor to the Department of Homeland Security, last week suggested that Ice Agent could be in next year’s Super Bowl.
Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem later claimed that the administration would send immigration officers to Levi’s stadium in Santa Clara, California, calling the NFL “very weak” because of performer choices, according to Fox News.
Bad Bunny supported Kamala Harris after the “Kil Tony” controversy
Bud Bunny supported former vice president Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
The move comes after a comedian describing Puerto Rico as a “trash floating island” at one of Trump’s closing campaign rally. A comment from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe went under the stage name Kill Tony, sparking widespread backlash. The Trump campaign at the time issued a statement that the statement did not reflect the views of the candidates at the time.
After Hinchcliffe’s comments went viral, Bad Bunny shared a video of Harris criticizing Trump’s actions against Puerto Rico when he was president. In her Instagram Story, Bad Bunny shared a post from Harris’ Instagram account, which outlines her agenda on the island.
He then shared a clip of Harris’s post. “I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he didn’t when Puerto Rico needed a compassionate and capable leader.
Bad bunny critical of Trump’s hurricane response in Puerto Rico
During Trump’s first presidency, two consecutive hurricanes, including Hurricane Maria, destroyed Puerto Rico in 2017. Approximately 3,000 people have been killed and thousands have been evacuated.
Bad Bunny at the time criticized the Trump administration’s response and lack of aid to the island following Hurricane Maria. Also, when he visited after he was devastated, Trump, throwing paper towels into the crowd, became a virus.
At the 2017 benefits concert for Hurricane Reliefs in Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Caribbean, Bad Bunny wrote a shirt that looked like it was being directed at Trump.
Or in English: “Are you a tweeter or a president?”
Contributions: Kinsey Crowley, Pamela Avila, Taijuan Moorman, USA Today
