President Donald Trump has criticized the NFL’s decision to name Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny as the headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, calling the move “absolutely ridiculous.”
During an appearance on Monday on Greg Kelly Reports on Newsmax, Trump was asked for his thoughts on the recent announcement. Host Greg Kelly introduced the topic by saying, “The NFL just chose the Bad Bunny rabbit or whatever his name is. This guy, who hates ICE, he doesn’t like you; he accuses everything he doesn’t like of racism.”
Kelly went on to question whether Trump would consider boycotting the NFL over the decision, adding that Bad Bunny “does not seem like a unifying entertainer and a lot of folks don’t even know who he is.”
“I’ve never heard of him,” Trump responded. “I don’t know who he is.”
Although Trump admitted he was not familiar with Bad Bunny’s music, he made clear that he disapproved of the league’s choice. “I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s crazy,” he said. “And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment—I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Following the announcement, Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski commented that ICE agents would “be in attendance” at the Super Bowl, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem echoed that statement, claiming that ICE would be “all over” the event, per The New York Times.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, previously said he avoided including U.S. cities on his recent tour due to fears of potential ICE raids. “There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate—I’ve performed there many times,” he said. “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.” The Grammy-winning artist later addressed the criticism surrounding his halftime show booking while hosting the season 51 premiere of Saturday Night Live on October 4.
“You might not know this, but I’m doing the Super Bowl Halftime Show,” he told the audience. “And I’m very happy, and I think everybody’s happy about it—even Fox News!”
Bad Bunny added that the performance represents more than personal success. “Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors,” he said in Spanish. “It’s more than a win for myself, it’s a win for all of us.”
Bad Bunny recently addressed why he wouldn’t tour the United States on his upcoming tour, citing fears that ICE would target his fans. When asked by interviewer Suzy Exposito in an interview with i-D. If his decision was “out of concern” for Latino fans, Bad Bunny responded: “Man, honestly, yes.”
He ended the monologue with a playful message to viewers: “And, if you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn!”
