Obama Weighs In On Bad Bunny Halftime Show As Cultural Divide Deepens

Barack Obama is weighing in on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance, and his comments are generating major buzz. During a recent podcast interview with Brian Tyler Cohen, the former president used the halftime show as an example of unity over division, contrasting it with what he described as today’s more combative political climate. Barack Obama's remarks quickly made waves online, with many praising both his tone and his message.

Discussing political division, Obama said, “The other side does the mean, angry, demagoguery, you know, us [versus] them, divisive politics. That's their home court. Our court is coming together.”

Obama then pointed to Bad Bunny’s halftime performance as an example. “It wasn't political," he said of Bad Bunny. "It resonated. It was smart. Because it wasn't preaching. It was showing. It was demonstrating and displaying. This is what a community is.”

He elaborated on the meaning shown through imagery during the show, saying, “And people who did not speak Spanish, and have never been to Puerto Rico, they saw that elderly woman serving a drink, and the kids dancing with their grandmas, and it was intergenerational, and it was a reminder of what Dr. King called the beloved community can look like.”

Acknowledging that communities are not perfect, Obama added, “Which is not perfect, and it's messy sometimes, and I guarantee you not all those lyrics were probably politically correct. And if you translated them and, you know ... people are complicated, but there was a sense of, all right, there's room for everybody here, and that, I think, is where we win.”

Clips of the interview quickly circulated online, drawing widespread praise from supporters. One person wrote, "Currently watching this segment and it is so excellent and refreshing to hear from a true leader. It feels like a free mental health session. I urge others to watch it in its entirety."

Another commented, "Greatest president in our history," as others chimed in with, "Omg we miss you," and "Why is this just so perfectly articulated?"

One user added, "This is how a real president reacts," referring to current President Donald Trump, who bashed Bad Bunny and the NFL.

After the NFL announced him as the halftime performer, many MAGA supporters, including President Donald Trump, took issue with the choice. "I’m anti-them," he said, also referring to Green Day, who kicked off the Super Bowl. "I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible."

The reaction went so far that Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the organization founded by late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, hosted an alternate Super Bowl halftime show on February 8 called the "All-American Halftime Show." The programming featured Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett.

While Trump did not comment on the "All-American Halftime Show," he did take aim at Bad Bunny's show shortly after it aired.

“It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “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.”

Bad Bunny's show averaged 128.2 million viewers on NBC, and although he didn’t set a new television ratings record, he now holds the distinction of owning the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show on YouTube within a 24-hour span.

Additionally, the “Titi Me Pregunto” singer made history for Telemundo, which televised the Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.