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By Andrew Stanton
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As President Donald Trump opposed Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, recent polling reveals how Americans feel about the performer versus the president.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and Bad Bunny’s representatives at Rimas Publishing for comment.
Why It Matters
The NFL picked Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican-born musician whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, to headline the halftime show this year. The decision drew mixed reactions. He is one of the most popular musicians in the world, and his fans celebrated the pick as a highlight of cultural representation during the widely viewed halftime show. Critics, however, have opposed Bad Bunny’s performance due to his more political lyrics about immigration and colonialism.
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What to Know
Trump is among the conservatives who oppose Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl. He criticized the decision in remarks to The New York Post last month.
“I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” the president told the publication.
His performance has become a flashpoint for cultural debate over recent weeks—particularly after Bad Bunny criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations during a speech at the Grammys on Sunday.
A new poll from YouGov showed Americans were mostly split in their views of Bad Bunny, though a narrow plurality said they view him positively.
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In total, 35 percent of respondents viewed him favorably, compared to 32 percent who viewed him unfavorably, according to the poll, which surveyed 1,672 adults from January 30 to February 2, 2026. Thirty-three percent said they don’t know how they feel about him.
Meanwhile, 28 percent said they were either somewhat or very satisfied with the decision to have him perform at the Super Bowl; 27 percent said they were either somewhat or very dissatisfied with the decision.
That same poll found that most Americans are not happy with Trump’s performance in office. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they disapprove of his job performance, while 40 percent gave him positive marks.
A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found that 50 percent of Americans view Trump unfavorably, while 42 percent view him favorably. It surveyed 2,000 registered voters from January 28-29, 2026, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.99 percentage points.
A TIPP poll showed Trump at 41 percent favorability and 50 percent unfavourability. It surveyed 1,384 adults from January 27-29, 2026.
Bad Bunny Super Bowl Performance Sparks Conservative Fury
The NFL’s decision to bring on Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl performer has been met with outrage from conservatives over his criticism of Trump and lyrics being primarily in Spanish.
In response to the halftime show, conservative group Turning Point USA organized a competing “All-American Halftime Show” headlined by Kid Rock, and a Change.org petition to replace Bad Bunny with country singer George Strait garnered over 100,000 signatures.
Bad Bunny has been outspoken about politics and endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. He has also frequently criticized Trump, dating back to 2017, following the Trump administration’s widely scrutinized response to Hurricane Maria. He also opted against touring in the U.S. amid concerns about ICE.
"There was the issue of, like, f****** ICE could be outside [my concert]," he told i-D magazine. "And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about."
Bad Bunny Called Out ICE at Grammy Awards
Just a week earlier, Bad Bunny condemned ICE during an acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out!” he said to an extensive applause from the audience. “We are not savage. We are not animals. We are not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans.”
He warned that “hate gets more powerful with hate.”
“The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. So, please, we need to be different,” he said.
What People Are Saying
Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner, speaking to the press about Bad Bunny’s halftime performance after the Grammys: “This platform is used to unite people, and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talents, and to be able to use this moment to do that. And I think artists in the past have done that. I think Bad Bunny understands that, and I think he’ll have a great performance.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem told Fox News Digital in response to Bad Bunny and other celebrities’ ICE critiques: “I wish they knew what wonderful, amazing people our ICE officers are. Many of these officers live in these communities where they are doing enforcement activities.”
President Donald Trump downplayed Bad Bunny’s cultural impact in an interview on Newsmax on October 6: "I never heard of him. I don't know who he is, I don't know why they're doing it, it's like crazy...I think it's absolutely ridiculous."
What Happens Next
The Super Bowl will take place on February 8, 2026.
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