Trump calls Bad Bunny's SuperBowl show 'absolutely terrible,' 'nothing aspirational'
What's the story
US President Donald Trump has slammed Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show, calling it "absolutely terrible." The criticism came through a post on his social media platform Truth Social. He described the performance as a "slap in the face to our country," claiming there was "nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show."
Cultural clash
Trump's detailed critique of the show
In his post, Trump said the show "makes no sense," is an "affront to the Greatness of America," and doesn't represent American "standards of success, creativity, or excellence." He implied criticism of Bad Bunny's use of Spanish by stating, "Nobody understands a word this guy is saying... especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World."
Performance backlash
Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance and Kid Rock's show
Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance was a celebration of his Puerto Rican culture, where he performed some of his biggest hits in Spanish. This was met with criticism from conservatives in American politics, including Trump. Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that he would prefer a Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny's. Notably, Kid Rock performed at an alternate show held by Turning Point USA.
Controversy escalates
Grammy acceptance speech sparks further controversy
The controversy over Bad Bunny's Super Bowl booking intensified after his Spanish-language album won the Grammy for Album of the Year. During his acceptance speech, he made a statement about federal immigration operations. "Before I say thanks to God, I'm going to say ICE out," he said. "We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans."