President Trump weighs in on Super Bowl halftime performer

W4A5YF Washington, District of Columbia, USA. 17th July, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump talks with reporters prior to boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, U.S., on Wednesday, July 17, 2019. Trump headed to North Carolina on Wednesday, where he hosted a campaign rally. Credit: Alex Edelman/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News

President Trump has shared his opinion on the choice for this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. On Monday, September 29, the NFL announced that rapper Bad Bunny will be the Super Bowl LX halftime headliner. The rapper previously appeared as a guest performer in 2020 alongside Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. The 2026 halftime show will be his first time appearing as the leading performer.

In an appearance on “Greg Kelly Reports” on Newsmax, President Trump told host Greg Kelly that he was not impressed with the NFL’s choice. Kelly described Bad Bunny as “this guy who hates ICE, he doesn’t like you, he accuses everything he doesn’t like of racism.”

“I never heard of him,” President Trump said. “I don’t know who he is, I don’t know why they’re doing it, it’s crazy.”

The Puerto Rican rapper has been critical of President Trump, particularly with respect to the administration’s approach on immigration policy. Bad Bunny did not include the U.S. in his 2025-2026 tour schedule.

In a September interview with I-D magazine, the rapper said the choice was not “out of hate.” Bad Bunny said his previous shows in the U.S. have been successful and “magnificent.” However, when asked about the choice to skip the U.S. on his current tour, he expressed concerns that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents could be waiting outside his shows. “It’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” Bad Bunny said.

Bad Bunny had previously criticized ICE on social media as well. In June, he lashed out at ICE agents for performing operations inside Puerto Rico. ICE has increased operations inside the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico since President Trump returned to office in January.

The production of the Super Bowl halftime show is done through Jay-Z’s production company Roc Nation.

When asked by Kelly about the NFL’s choice, Trump weighed in on Roc Nation’s role. “They blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment,” Trump said. “I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Super Bowl LX will air on February 8, 2026.

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