Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show Sparks Outrage from MAGA

Rapper's Spanish-language performance draws criticism from Jake Paul and former President Trump

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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During the Super Bowl, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny performed at the halftime show, singing in Spanish. This sparked outrage from figures like boxer and influencer Jake Paul, who called Bunny a "fake American," and former President Trump, who said he would not watch the Super Bowl due to Bunny's performance. The controversy highlights longstanding tensions over Puerto Rico's status as a U.S. territory and the backlash against the use of the Spanish language in America.

Why it matters

The reaction to Bad Bunny's performance reflects the MAGA movement's embrace of an ethnonationalist doctrine that seeks to preserve white cultural dominance and rejects the diversity of modern America. It also underscores the complex history of U.S. colonialism in Puerto Rico and the exploitation of the island's people.

The details

Jake Paul, a boxer and influencer, criticized Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, as a "fake American" for singing in Spanish during the Super Bowl halftime show. Former President Trump also weighed in, saying he would not watch the game due to Bunny's performance and that of the band Green Day, which had criticized Trump's immigration policies. The controversy highlights longstanding tensions over Puerto Rico's status as a U.S. territory, with many MAGA supporters viewing Puerto Ricans as "fake Americans." This sentiment ignores the fact that Puerto Ricans have held U.S. citizenship since 1917 and that Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States.

  • Bad Bunny performed at the Super Bowl halftime show on February 13, 2026.
  • In 2025, the Department of Homeland Security posted a tweet using the term "remigrate" prior to national "No Kings" protests, and the Department of State released a "reorganization chart" that included the creation of an "Office of Remigration."

The players

Bad Bunny

Also known as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, he is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer who performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2026.

Jake Paul

A boxer, influencer, actor, and self-described racist Islamophobe who criticized Bad Bunny as a "fake American" for singing in Spanish.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who said he would not watch the Super Bowl due to Bad Bunny's performance and that of the band Green Day, which had criticized Trump's immigration policies.

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What they’re saying

“Let's rally together and show big corporations they can't just do whatever they want without consequences. Turn off this halftime. A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America.”

— Jake Paul, Boxer and Influencer (Twitter)

“I'm anti-them [Bad Bunny and the group Green Day]. I think it's a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.”

— Donald Trump, Former President of the United States (The White House)

The takeaway

The backlash against Bad Bunny's Spanish-language performance at the Super Bowl halftime show reflects the MAGA movement's embrace of an ethnonationalist doctrine that seeks to preserve white cultural dominance and reject the diversity of modern America. This controversy highlights the complex history of U.S. colonialism in Puerto Rico and the ongoing exploitation of the island's people.