During the Super Bowl LX halftime show, Bad Bunny took to the stage. At the same time, Republicans hosted Turning Point USA, which offered an alternative: The All-American halftime show. The pre-taped show featured Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett. Overall, Bad Bunny’s halftime show got 128.2 million viewers, whereas the TPUSA event peaked at around 6.1 million.
For months leading up to Bad Bunny’s halftime show, conservatives fearmongered, with fans threatening to boycott the Super Bowl. Unexpectedly, the Trump administration weighed in to criticize the choice to have Bad Bunny perform at the Super Bowl. After his performance, President Trump would again weigh in, to say that Bad Bunny’s performance was “one of the worst, EVER!” and “an affront to the Greatness of America.”
Bad Bunny has heavily criticized the Trump Administration, even going as far as to not tour in the United States, due to concerns that ICE may target his concerts. He also demanded “ICE out” at the 2026 Grammy Awards, on February 1st. His halftime show was a very clear homage to Latin American culture, something that is clearly important to him as a Puerto Rican.
Admittedly, as someone raised in Latino culture, I am not a huge fan of Bad Bunny’s music. I was not initially keen on the idea of having a halftime show in a foreign language. As I thought, it didn’t really fit the setting of a football game. I believe important events should be held in English, and I’m glad to hear that President Trump designated English as the official language of the United States. However, at no point was I outraged or interested in boycotting anything because Bad Bunny was this year’s performer .
When the halftime show came on, the older people in the lounge I was in tried to change the channel to the TPUSA show but couldn’t get the remote to work. I ended up getting to watch Bad Bunny’s performance, which pleasantly surprised me. The performance did a great job at displaying unity, love, and celebrating one’s heritage. I didn’t even find it super political; it was just an all-around feel-good, fun event. When I went and watched the TPUSA halftime show, it felt dated and catered towards Republican boomers.
After Bad Bunny’s performance, conservatives would take to social media to voice their criticism. Of course, everyone has the right to express their opinion. However, it often seems like the right has adopted the same hypersensitivity they once criticized on the left. Are we so sensitive that we need our own halftime show, demand government investigations into the performer, and make angry TikToks for days after a 15-minute performance?
As conservatives, we need to lighten up a bit and not make such a big deal out of things like this. I find the right’s reaction embarrassing for us, and it’s easy to see why conservatives have a hard time connecting with the youth. The backlash and negative press given to Bad Bunny probably promoted, and justified his message even further. If conservatives want to remain culturally relevant, we have to show that conservatism can be a movement of joy and celebration, not anger.
Acknowledgement: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author, not necessarily Our National Conversation as a whole.
