The Donald Trump administration is doubling down on its criticism of the NFL for picking Bad Bunny as the headline performer at the next Super Bowl. This time, Trump himself called the choice ridiculous — while admitting he doesn’t even know who Bad Bunny is.
Bad Bunny is a three-time Grammy-winning artist who consistently tops Spotify charts. He’s Puerto Rican, and much of his music is in Spanish. That’s actually a strength for the NFL, which is aiming to expand its global audience at a time when it wants to compete with sports like Formula 1 and tournaments like the Champions League. But the Trump administration doesn’t see it that way.
When a Newsmax reporter asked Trump what he thought about Bad Bunny’s selection — claiming the artist “hates ICE, Trump, and thinks everything he doesn’t like is racism.” Variety reports Trump responded, “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 then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment — I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
The “promoter” Trump refers to just so happens to be Jay-Z — a 25-time Grammy-winning artist and one of the most influential figures in music. If anyone has the authority to decide which performer deserves a stage like the Super Bowl, it’s someone with a decades-long track record of success in that very industry.
This comes right after Trump’s former campaign manager suggested that the administration might consider sending ICE agents to the Super Bowl venue because Bad Bunny will be performing. The tension stems from Bad Bunny’s own comments that he wouldn’t tour in the U.S. out of fear the Trump administration might use his shows to entrap his Latino fanbase.
Besides, if the NFL chose headliners based on which musicians like ICE, they’d probably only have Kid Rock — and that would truly be a ridiculous pick. The Super Bowl is trying to attract younger and more diverse audiences, and Bad Bunny’s fanbase delivers exactly that.
For all the raging and ranting MAGA does about DEI and participation trophies, you’d think they’d have no problem with one of the best-selling artists in the world earning one of the biggest stages. Bad Bunny earned his spot. If making a hit album were easy, Kid Rock’s last record Bad Reputation would have at least cracked the Billboard 200. For someone who constantly reminds the press of his “numbers” in the last election, Trump should understand why Bad Bunny’s numbers matter, too.
And it can’t simply be about Bad Bunny singing in Spanish. Colombian superstar Shakira has also headlined the Super Bowl — because she’s an icon, regardless of where she’s from. Much like Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show earlier this year, the viewership numbers will tell the real story. If people tune in, the NFL’s choice will be vindicated. The reverse is also true.
Bad Bunny chose to keep his fans safe from ICE’s reach. Artists have long refused to perform in certain venues for moral reasons — this one is no different.
Published: Oct 7, 2025 06:35 pm