After news broke that Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2026, former President Donald Trump weighed in during a phone interview on NewsMax, expressing surprise and skepticism about the selection.

Speaking with host Greg Kelly — who referred to the performer dismissively — Trump said he was unfamiliar with the star and called the decision “crazy,” then shifted focus to Roc Nation and Jay‑Z, who help oversee the halftime selection process and the promoters involved.

Billboard has contacted Bad Bunny’s representatives for comment.

The Puerto Rican superstar is one of the streaming era’s biggest acts: he draws roughly 80 million monthly Spotify listeners and ranks among the platform’s top-streamed artists. From 2020 through 2022 he finished each year as Spotify’s most-streamed artist, a streak that ended when Taylor Swift topped the lists in 2023 and 2024.

Bad Bunny’s massive, 31-date No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí residency at Puerto Rico’s Coliseo set venue records, and the livestream of its final night became Amazon Music’s most-watched live event.

Since the halftime booking was announced, right‑wing commentators and some figures aligned with Trump have criticized the choice. Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski called the pick “shameful” and accused Benito of being anti‑American, remarks that drew pushback given that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory.

Lewandowski also suggested Immigration and Customs Enforcement would have a presence at the game; Kristi Noem later said ICE agents would be “all over” the Super Bowl. A New York Times report covers those statements in more detail.

Bad Bunny addressed the controversy while hosting the season 51 premiere of Saturday Night Live, joking that he was “very happy” to be doing the halftime show and quipping that even Fox News was pleased. After delivering a portion of his monologue in Spanish about representing his community, he added in English: “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn!”

For more background on the announcement and reactions, see the original coverage and related reporting.

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