adminThe NFL’s decision to hand the Super Bowl halftime spotlight to Bad Bunny has many Americans scratching their heads and feeling disrespected. The Puerto Rican star was officially announced as the headliner for Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium — a decision confirmed in the league’s big publicity push this week. Conservatives aren’t just disappointed; they’re furious that the most-watched night in American sports would be used to elevate a performer with a recent record of snubbing the continental United States.
The controversy isn’t invented — Bad Bunny publicly said he would not include mainland U.S. dates on his tour, calling touring the continental United States “unnecessary” and citing fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement showing up at concerts. He has repeatedly explained his residency in Puerto Rico and his choice to focus on his home and international dates rather than play the U.S. mainland, provoking predictable praise from the left and anger from patriots. For many Americans this is less about music and more about priorities: why should we celebrate someone who essentially opted out of performing for U.S. fans?
Worse still, Bad Bunny has not been shy about airing hostility toward ICE operations, once sharing footage and calling agents profane names while condemning raids; that rhetoric makes the NFL’s embrace look like a political stunt, not a neutral entertainment pick. The Fader and other outlets reported the singer’s explicit concerns that ICE could be “outside” his shows — language that doesn’t sit well with Americans who expect national events to celebrate, not denigrate, our institutions. The halftime show used to be about unity; now it risks becoming another platform for grievance and division.
Let’s be clear about the inconsistency: the same cultural gatekeepers who crow about diversity and inclusion have no problem booking a performer who declared the U.S. mainland unnecessary for his tour, then tout him as a pinnacle of entertainment at the Super Bowl. Jay-Z’s Roc Nation partnership with the NFL has produced headline acts before, but this pick looks more like virtue signaling than respect for American audiences who pay sky-high prices for the spectacle. Fans who traveled, bought tickets, or follow the league expect entertainment that honors the country hosting the game, not an ambivalent political statement.
Beyond politics, Bad Bunny’s public persona — his deliberate gender-bending fashion and self-described genderless approach to clothing — is a conscious cultural choice that the leftdrenched entertainment complex has elevated as brave and progressive. He’s openly dismissed gendered clothing norms and embraced looks that challenge traditional values, something millions of Americans find at odds with their beliefs about family and culture. Conservatives aren’t asking to ban anyone’s expression; we’re calling out the double standard when institutions reward theatrical provocation while lecturing ordinary Americans on modesty and tradition.
The NFL has a choice: it can be a neutral arena for sport and entertainment, or it can be a megaphone for the cultural elites’ political messaging. By elevating a performer who publicly avoided touring the U.S. and who openly rails against aspects of American authority, the league has made its decision. Patriots should refuse to be lectured to during the biggest national spectacle of the year and should demand halftime shows that unite rather than divide.
If the NFL wants to win back mainstream America’s trust, executives should start by listening to fans instead of booking headline acts to check ideological boxes. Support should go to performers who celebrate American audiences, respect our institutions, and don’t treat the continental U.S. as optional. Until then, hardworking Americans will judge the league’s choices at the ballot box of viewership and dollars.
