The NFL’s choice of pop star Bad Bunny as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime headliner has sparked significant criticism, and the issue extends beyond the music itself.
Days following the announcement of the half-time show, President Trump’s adviser Corey Lewandowski suggested that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could be present at the Super Bowl.
When podcaster Benny Johnson asked Lewandowski if ICE enforcement would be present at the Super Bowl, he responded by saying that “there is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people in this country illegally, not the Super Bowl and nowhere else.”
The comments came in response to online backlash to the NFL’s decision, questioning both the league’s cultural direction and Bad Bunny’s political past.
The Puerto Rican-born performer, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, a U.S. citizen by virtue of Puerto Rico’s territorial status, has made headlines for his outspoken criticism of ICE enforcement. The artist canceled a chunk of his U.S. tour stops earlier this year due to the potential presence of ICE, per Fox News.
“But there was the issue of — like, f—ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” the artist said during an interview with i-D.
During a trip to Puerto Rico in June, Ocasio shared a video on social media that he said showed local immigration enforcement raids – while saying in Spanish, “Look, those motherf——s are in these cars, RAV-4s. They’re here in Pontezuela…Sons of b——, instead of leaving the people alone and working there.”
For many Americans, the deeper frustration lies in the NFL’s decision to feature a controversial artist who often incorporates politics into his performances.
“We should be trying to be inclusive, not exclusive. There are plenty of great bands and entertainment people who could be playing at that show that would be bringing people together and not separating them,” Lewandowski said.
The social media frenzy is ongoing.
“Of course the NFL picked Bad Bunny. Nothing says ‘America’s game’ like a screechy, anti-Trump rapper prancing around in pearls while the league pretends it’s still about football. The Super Bowl used to be a unifying tradition; now it’s just another DEI talent show where the wokest clown gets the mic. Apparently, 100 million viewers wasn’t enough, they had to make sure the halftime show is unbearable for anyone with testosterone,” posted N.L.R.@NaturalWay_NLR.
“Bad Bunny is VULGAR, political, and way out of bounds for a Super Bowl halftime show. This is what we call Family Entertainment now?!” posted Trish Regan@trish_regan.
“They’re just trying to shove woke ideology down America’s throat…” posted The Megyn Kelly Show@MegynKellyShow.
Bad Bunny was picked by @NFL @RocNation to play the Super Bowl this year.
He made the following racist comment: "I highly doubt the type of gringos I don’t fuck with listen to me. Those were all the people at the Super Bown who were pissed odd about how Latino the halftime show… pic.twitter.com/UqU5Ksobkm
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) September 29, 2025
It feels like the NFL has gone out of its way in recent years to embrace performers who push cultural or political divides; from Beyoncé’s Black Panther-inspired staging in 2016 to rap lineups that glorified anti-police messages.
For those wary of the NFL’s future, Bad Bunny’s selection appears to be the latest chapter in what could be seen as a trend of politics overshadowing sports.
Lewandowski says that it doesn’t matter who is performing, and where they are performing; it’s about protecting the borders. “If there are illegal aliens, I don’t care if it’s a concert for Johnny Smith or Bad Bunny or anybody else. … We’re going to do enforcement everywhere,” he added.