US President Donald Trump criticised Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show, attacking the performance for its language, choreography and cultural references in a Truth Social post issued shortly after it aired.

 

During his Super Bowl halftime performance, Bad Bunny handed a Grammy Award to a young Latino boy on stage, saying in Spanish, “Cree siempre en ti” (“always believe in yourself”). Social media briefly speculated the boy was Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old immigrant who was recently detained, but this was not the case. While Bad Bunny did not mention U.S. immigration authorities during the show, he has addressed related issues recently. At the Grammys last week, accepting the Album of the Year award for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, he said, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say: ICE out,” dedicating the award to “all the people that had to leave their homeland…to follow their dreams.” 

 

Trump wrote that the performance was “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” He said the show was “a slap in the face to our country” and claimed it failed to reflect what he described as American standards of “Success, Creativity, or Excellence.”

 

Trump’s criticism focused in part on the language used during the performance. “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying,” he wrote, referring to Bad Bunny’s predominantly Spanish set. He also criticised the choreography, describing it as “disgusting,” and said it was inappropriate for children watching the broadcast.

 

Trump said there was “nothing inspirational” about the halftime show and referred to it as “a mess.” Although the performance did not mention him or his administration, Trump compared it to what he described as achievements under his leadership, saying the show was “an affront to the Greatness of America.”

 

Bad Bunny, a Grammy-winning artist from Puerto Rico, headlined the halftime show at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California. His performance incorporated visual elements and staging tied to Caribbean and Latin American culture.

 

During one segment, Bad Bunny addressed the audience while transitioning between songs, saying in Spanish, “It’s because I never, never stopped believing in myself, and you too should believe in yourself.” The performance included a stage designed to resemble sugar cane fields and featured a piragua stand, a traditional shaved ice snack associated with Puerto Rico.

 

Bad Bunny later performed songs including “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” and “NUEVAYoL” in front of a set designed as a marketplace labelled “La Marqueta.” 

 

The show concluded with fireworks during a performance of “DtMF.” Lady Gaga later joined Bad Bunny on the field for a salsa-style rendition of her song “Die With a Smile,” followed by an appearance by Latin artist Ricky Martin.

 

In the same Truth Social post, Trump also criticised the NFL’s kickoff rules, calling the league’s dynamic kickoff format “ridiculous” and urging officials to reverse the change.

 

Bad Bunny has faced criticism from conservative figures since he was announced as the Super Bowl halftime performer, with Trump’s comments reflecting broader opposition from right-wing voices to the NFL’s selection of the Puerto Rican singer.