bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Performance Sparks Right-Wing Backlash
GLENDALE, AZ – The NFL’s confirmation late Sunday night that Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show ignited a swift and predictable wave of criticism from right-wing commentators and influencers, highlighting a growing culture war around the Puerto Rican artist’s music and outspoken political views.
Within hours of the declaration, figures like Ben Johnson labeled Bad Bunny “a massive Trump hater” and “an anti-ICE activist.” Jack Posobiec, known for promoting the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, targeted Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation produces the super Bowl halftime show, accusing him of cultural “engineering.” The “End wokeness” account, boasting 4 million followers, mocked the artist with an image of him in a dress.
The attacks are indicative of a broader strategy to mobilize conservative bases by identifying a symbolic opponent. Bad Bunny’s prominence as a Spanish-language artist and his explicit political activism directly challenge core tenets of American conservatism, according to observers. Influencer Mario Nawfal dismissed the artist’s appeal, stating the “average halftime viewer in Des Moines doesn’t speak fluent reggaeton.”
The hostility isn’t focused on Bad Bunny’s music, but his message. he notably declined to tour in the United States due to concerns about potential ICE raids targeting his fans. “People from the US coudl come here to see the show…But there was the issue of-like, fucking ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” Bad Bunny explained in an interview with i-D magazine.This decision positions his concerts as potential safe spaces and his absence as a form of protest.
Beyond immigration,Bad Bunny has consistently advocated for Puerto Rico,criticizing its status as an unincorporated territory and championing the island’s economic well-being. His 31-day residency in Puerto Rico generated an estimated $400 million economic impact, according to Wells Fargo.
