Trump Calls Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Performance a “Slap in the Face” to the U.S.

On Sunday, Feb. 8, Bad Bunny took the stage at the 60th Super Bowl in Santa Clara, Calif. The much-awaited halftime performance featured Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, celebrating his roots onstage with appearances by Cardi B, Jessica Alba, and Pedro Pascal, along with performances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.

Bad Bunny also chose not to focus fully on the ongoing political issues plaguing the U.S., particularly the surge in ICE raids as part of the Trump Administration's mass-deportation efforts and other immigration issues. The performance received tons of praise from viewers, though many Republicans, namely Trump, didn't enjoy what they saw. The president expressed his disdain for the performance on social media.

Here's what to know.

During Bad Bunny's performance, Trump expressed how offended he was by the set. Although he didn't attend the festivities in California, he chose to discuss them on Truth Social while watching them from a party in Florida. In his post, he described the performance as a "slap in the face" and scolded the performer for not including any English-language songs.

"The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!" Trump wrote. "It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence."

This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day, including the Best Stock Market and 401(k)s in History!" the post added.

According to The Independent, Trump doubled down on his opposition to Bad Bunny's performance with an AI-generated image that illustrated his dream of expanding the American empire. In the background of the picture is a map of the Americas that also shows Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela covered in the U.S. flag. Trump also said that any accolades Bad Bunny receives from his show will be "fake news."

"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 what is going on in the REAL WORLD," Trump said. "And, by the way, the NFL should immediately replace its ridiculous new Kickoff Rule. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

While Trump had a lot to say about Bad Bunny's halftime performance, the rapper seemingly isn't paying him any mind. Rather than responding to the president's rant, he opted to focus on the positive and unifying message he brought to the stage. During his performance, Bad Bunny delivered a message acknowledging all nations of the Americas, adding more context to the phrase "God Bless America."

"God bless America, whether it’s Chile, Argentina,” Bad Bunny said as he stood beside the U.S. flag and the flag of Puerto Rico, a US territory, later displaying a football that read, "Together we are America.”

The "MONACO" rapper's beef with Trump goes back to when he publicly endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris during her run for president in 2024. The president said ahead of the Super Bowl that the NFL made a "terrible choice" in choosing him to perform the halftime show, though the millions of viewers watching at home would disagree.