Marrakech – US President Donald Trump criticized the Super Bowl halftime show following the Puerto Rican “King of Latin Trap” Bad Bunny’s performance, calling it “absolutely terrible” and “one of the worst ever.”
In a post shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the halftime show “made no sense” and was “an affront to the Greatness of America,” arguing that it failed to represent what he described as the country’s standards of “success, creativity, or excellence.”
Trump also appeared to take aim at Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language performance, making the generalistic bold claim that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying” and criticizing the choreography as “disgusting,” particularly for young children watching across the United States and around the world.
Bad Bunny’s Superbowl Halftime show was garnering distaste from the president long before the star hit the stage, viewed widely as not merely a performance but a cultural protest directed towards the administration’s immigration crackdown.
By prominently showing Latin cultural prominently on American football’s largest stage, Bad Bunny sent a message: that this community, and immigrants and general, belong in America and can be squarely in places of power. Countering the perpetuating message of division that currently is spreading throughout the US, the show was an appeal for unity driven by cultural pride in his homeland.
It was also a reminder to those that Puerto Ricans are in fact Americans as well, and deserve to be part of the the community conversations.
During the first few minutes of the performance, Bad Bunny referenced his personal journey to reaching the Super Bowl stage.
“It’s because I never, never stopped believing in myself, and you too, you too should believe in yourself,” he said, as he pointed toward the screen.
Bad Bunny performed while moving through an elaborate set – more like a whole Latino world – designed to resemble sugar cane fields, a visual widely associated with Caribbean regions in Latin America such as Puerto Rico and Cuba.
The performance featured a stop at a shaved ice stand, known as a piragua, a popular street treat in Puerto Rico.
The artist went on to perform a selection of his hit songs, including “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” and “NUEVAYoL,” the latter staged in front of a market-style set labeled “La Marqueta,” referencing Latino neighborhoods and cultural spaces.
The Super Bowl halftime show, which has been part of the event since 1967, has increasingly featured international artists in recent years as the NFL expands its global reach.
