Donald Trump Slams Bad Bunny's Halftime Show And Calls Out The NFL Over Rule Change

Rapper Bad Bunnny headlined the most recent Super Bowl halftime show, with Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin as special guests. Now, following the performance, many have weighed in, with some admiring the spectacle and others less than thrilled. One person who falls into the latter category is none other than President Donald Trump, who didn’t mince words when it came to his criticism. 

After seeing Bad Bunny’s halftime show, Trump took to his official Truth Social account to express his concerns. He said on the platform, “The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.”

He went on to call out the rapper’s use of Spanish instead of English. According to the President, “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World. This 'Show' is just a 'slap in the face' to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day.”

Trump continued his rant against Bad Bunny and the Super Bowl Halftime Show. The 79-year-old continued, “There is nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show and watch, it will get great reviews from the Fake News Media, because they haven’t got a clue of what is going on in the REAL WORLD.”

He then addressed the NFL, saying, “And, by the way, the NFL should immediately replace its ridiculous new Kickoff Rule. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Regarding the kickoff rule change, CNN reports that the NFL recently implemented the "dynamic kickoff rule." In a nutshell, it keeps players farther apart to avoid collisions. Notably, this change was introduced last season and was made permanent more recently.

Trump isn't the only person who has thoughts on what Bad Bunny brought to the stage. One person on X wrote, "One of the best halftime shows ever. A love letter to our Latin culture, a powerful message. If you didn’t get the message, it wasn’t for you. Latinos thrive in joy, dance, and happiness, even in the darkest times. Benito, thank you!"

Someone else praised the performance but didn't understand why he chose Gaga over Cardi B, given that he has a song with the rapper. They said, "Bad Bunny’s halftime show was a 10/10, but help me understand Gaga being there singing die with a smile? Also, Cardi B was literally RIGHT THERE. The 'I Like It' performance we deserved!"

Another person said, "You don’t have to know Spanish to feel what Bad Bunny was saying. His performance sent the perfect message, only the small-minded would disagree."

There were also many viewers, in additon to Trump, who didn't appreciate Bad Bunny's performance. One X user said, "Don’t even need a poll. Hands down worst halftime show in history…"

Someone else stated, "This is the single worst HALF TIME SHOW IN NFL HISTORY. SORRY NOT SORRY. @NFL, do better for the American citizens. Maybe next year, choose an English-speaking artist."

Another person posted, "WORST HALFTIME SHOW EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRR WTF WAS THAT."

Bad Bunny was announced as the Super Bowl Halftime performer in September 2025. It was then that the controversy began among naysayers, partly because the Grammy-winning artist joked that viewers would need to learn Spanish for the show. Fast-forward to February 2026, and he teased his performance during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Press Conference.

When asked if he would have any special guests, Bad Bunny said, "You know that’s something that I'm not gonna tell you. I don't know why you ask that."

He continued, "Well, of course, I think I have a lot of guests. It’s gonna be my family, my friends, all of the Latino community around the world... the whole country. There's a lot of people who love me around the world."

Regarding what he wanted viewers to gain from the performance, the rapper stated, "I just want people to have fun. It’s gonna be a huge party, and what people can always expect from me. Of course, a lot of my culture, but I really don't want to give any spoilers. It's going to be fun, and it's going to be easy, and people only have to worry about dance."

He added, "I know that I told them that they only have four months to learn Spanish. They don't even have to learn Spanish. It's better that they learn to dance, but I think there's no better dance than the one that comes from the heart."

According to USA Today, Bad Bunny began his set with his hit single, "Tití Me Preguntó." During the show, fans were also treated to songs such as "Yo Perreo Sola," "Safaera," "Party," and "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS." Additionally, he performed a Salsa version of "Die With a Smile" with Gaga, who stunned in a light blue dress for her halftime show performance. Notably, this marks her second time on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, with the first being in 2017 when she headlined.

Regarding special guests, Bad Bunny also performed "LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii" with Martin. At the time of this writing, it's unclear how many people watched the performance, but it's sure to remain a part of the pop culture discourse for quite some time.