Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Success Met With Harsh Criticism from Trump: An Affront to American Greatness

by Carlos Mendoza February 9, 2026

written by Carlos Mendoza February 9, 2026

Key Takeaways

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Bad Bunnys Super Bowl halftime show celebrated Latin culture and blended it with contemporary sounds, honoring his reggaeton origins and Puerto Rican heritage.
The performance featured collaborations with other artists of Latin American origin, such as Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, and Karol G.
Bad Bunny symbolically passed his Grammy award to a child during the show, which was widely interpreted as a tribute to Puerto Rico and its population of over three million people.
The performance concluded with an on-screen message emphasizing love over hate, reinforcing a theme of unity that highlights Bad Bunnys hard-earned success.

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Despite not watching the entire game, Donald Trump criticized Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show on his Truth Social account, claiming it was insulting to Americans. Trump singled out Bad Bunny’s reggaeton performance, stating that its message was unclear. However, social media trends suggest that the performance resonated with many viewers. Bad Bunny’s performance at Levi’s Stadium in California prominently showcased Latin culture without overt political statements. In a celebration of his 10-year career, he began his set with “Titi Me Pregunto” and “Solita,” accompanied by a plantation-style backdrop referencing his reggaeton origins.

The performance paid tribute to reggaeton pioneers such as Tego Calderón (with a nod to Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina”). Bad Bunny then passed the mic to Lady Gaga, who delivered a salsa rendition of “Die With A Smile,” before performing “Inforgettable Dance” and “Nuevayor,” blending Puerto Rican and Latin American musical traditions with contemporary sounds. Ricky Martin, who previously broke barriers for Puerto Ricans as a member of Menudo, joined Bad Bunny to sing “Lo Que Le Paso A Hawaii,” a key track from his Grammy-winning album Debi Tirar Mas Fotos. The album, released in 2025, earned Bad Bunny his first Grammy for Album of the Year—a first for a Spanish-language album. Building on his global success, Bad Bunny, who has topped Spotify’s global streaming charts three times since 2020, used the Super Bowl halftime show to honor Puerto Rican culture. During the performance, he symbolically passed his Grammy award to a child, a gesture widely interpreted as a tribute to Puerto Rico, an unincorporated US territory since 1898 with a population of just over three million.

Bad Bunny’s Unity-Themed Super Bowl Performance with Collaborators Celebrates Love Over Hate

The 13-minute performance also featured appearances by actors and singers of Latin American origin, including Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, and Karol G. Bad Bunny concluded the show with an on-screen message, “The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate is Love,” reinforcing a theme of unity. In doing so, the superstar highlighted that his success is hard-earned, not accidental.