Commentary: Bad Bunny is American; Coldplay is not. The right is selectively freaking out over the Super Bowl

President Trump told the New York Post that euphony creator Bad Bunny was a “terrible choice” to header the 2026 Super Bowl halftime amusement and that the NFL’s enactment of the Puerto Rican vocalist and rapper sows “hatred.”

Department of Homeland Security advisor Corey Lewandowski suggested that Bad Bunny loathes the U.S. “It’s truthful shameful that they’ve decided to prime idiosyncratic who conscionable seems to hatred America truthful overmuch to correspond them astatine the halftime game,” helium told blimpish podcaster Benny Johnson.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said connected Monday that Bad Bunny disseminates “anti-American propaganda.”

The upshot: Bad Bunny (aka Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) is an force of the state. An outsider who doesn’t person American values. A Super Bowl wrecker.

Bad Bunny took location aggregate trophies from the 68th Grammy Awards past play successful Los Angeles, including for medium of the year. Very American, sir.

(Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images for the Recording Academy)

Heated statement astir who is worthy to execute the halftime amusement is an American contented (Prince, yes. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, no). But now, unsurprisingly, authorities are portion of that debate, truthful the specified information that Bad Bunny is brownish and Latino and sings successful Spanish is seen by immoderate arsenic an affront to the right. Clearly the “Woke Bowl” is disrespecting the tough-on-immigration president, and successful Español, nary less.

But Bad Bunny is an American citizen, arsenic are astir radical calved successful Puerto Rico aft 1898, acknowledgment to the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917. Bad Bunny, calved successful 1994, made the deadline with 96 years to spare. If the fearfulness is that foreigners are coming present to instrumentality our jobs and ruin beloved American traditions, determination are plentifulness of nonnative artists to grouse about.

For decades, outsiders person foisted their overseas euphony upon america astatine the Super Bowl betwixt commercials for Doritos and Budweiser.

The United Kingdom’s Phil Collins played the 2000 Super Bowl XXXIV Halftime Show, arsenic did Enrique Iglesias, who is from Spain. The Irishmen of U2 stole jobs distant from Americans erstwhile they played the 2002 Super Bowl. The pursuing twelvemonth it was sneaky Canadian Shania Twain and a sus quality from England referred to lone arsenic Sting.

Then came atrocious hombre aft atrocious hombre from the UK: Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Coldplay. And don’t adjacent get maine started connected Shakira, gyrating her Colombian aforesaid into 2020’s Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show, oregon the pursuing year, the Weeknd utilizing his saccharine dependable to distract from the information he’s Canadian.

Remember each the anti-immigrant furor astir those aforementioned performances? Of people not — due to the fact that determination was none. And this year, if the delicately reunited U.K. duo Oasis was to propulsion things unneurotic for 2026 and play the Super Bowl, it astir surely wouldn’t animate the aforesaid benignant of vitriol.

The close remembers that Bad Bunny criticized the Trump medication for its handling of Puerto Rico’s hurricane recovery, and that that helium has spoken retired against ICE’s inhumane attraction of immigrants. But calling Bad Bunny a dissenter is excessively direct, excessively Stalinist. It’s amended to formed uncertainty upon the singer’s loyalty to America via thinly veiled racist rhetoric.

Turning Point USA, the right-wing radical founded by Charlie Kirk and helmed by his wife, Erika Kirk, pursuing his assassination, has organized its ain counter-concert called the “All-American Halftime Show”. It volition prima rap-rocker Kid Rock and state artists Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett. The amusement is counter-programmed to vie with the Super Bowl halftime show, airing connected X and blimpish networks specified arsenic TBN and OAN astir the aforesaid clip arsenic Bad Bunny’s set.

When the “alternative” show’s lineup was announced this week, Kid Rock took a jab astatine Bad Bunny successful a statement: “He’s said he’s having a creation party, wearing a dress, and singing successful Spanish? Cool. We program to play large songs for folks who emotion America.”

Kid Rock isn’t known to deterioration dresses connected stage, arsenic Bad Bunny has done, but it’s unclear which songs of his he’ll play successful the sanction of “loving America.”

Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said the amusement volition bespeak blimpish values specified arsenic “faith, family, and freedom,” truthful Kid Rock apt won’t execute his 2001 way “Cool, Daddy Cool,” wherever helium sings “Young ladies, young ladies, I similar ‘em underage spot / Some accidental that’s statutory, but I accidental it’s mandatory.” It’s besides improbable he’ll bust retired his 2007 opus “Lowlife (Living the Highlife)”: “I marque Black euphony for the achromatic antheral / Keep cocaine upon my nightstand.”

One happening is certain: He’ll proceed to sing Trump’s praises, successful English.