The NFL promised unity. What America got instead was outrage.

Sunday night’s Super Bowl LX halftime show, headlined by Latin trap star Bad Bunny, detonated into a full-blown cultural firestorm, with millions of viewers blasting the performance as tone-deaf, divisive, and wildly out of step with the country watching at home.

Among the most vocal critics was President Donald Trump, who didn’t mince words as he torched the show on Truth Social.

“The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World,” Trump wrote.

The president didn’t stop there.

“This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day — including the Best Stock Market and 401(k)s in History! There is nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show and watch, it will get great reviews from the Fake News Media, because they haven’t got a clue of what is going on in the REAL WORLD — And, by the way, the NFL should immediately replace its ridiculous new Kickoff Rule. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Trump’s reaction echoed the fury spreading across conservative social media, where influencers, commentators, and everyday fans lit up the NFL for what they viewed as a deliberate cultural snub. Even Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, weighed in with criticism.

One of the most common complaints? The performance was almost entirely in Spanish, leaving much of Middle America wondering who the show was actually for. Critics argued that the NFL had replaced a unifying American tradition with a niche cultural showcase during the most watched television event of the year.

Others tied the spectacle to the nation’s ongoing debate over illegal immigration and ICE deportations, accusing the league of quietly inserting political messaging under the guise of entertainment.

That suspicion only grew when the show ended with a message splashed across the Levi Stadium video board:

“The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate is Love.”

To many viewers, it felt less like inspiration and more like a lecture.

Bad Bunny himself fueled speculation by wearing a mock football jersey reading “Ocasio 64.” While “Ocasio” is the artist’s last name, critics pointed to the number as a possible reference to the initial death toll from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico—a figure later revised upward to nearly 3,000. The NFL offered no clarification.

Despite expectations that the halftime show would be sung entirely in Spanish, Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance to perform the Bruno Mars hit “Die With a Smile.” For some, it was the lone familiar moment in an otherwise alienating performance.

Not everyone was upset. A handful of sports figures, including former NFL star J.J. Watt and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, praised the show. But their applause was drowned out by a growing boycott.

Many fans openly admitted they skipped the NFL halftime show altogether, choosing instead to watch Turning Point USA’s “All-American” halftime event, headlined by Kid Rock. The alternative broadcast drew big conservative names, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson and Brett Favre, along with former ESPN host Sage Steele.

Even the White House made its preference clear.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters:

“I think the president would much prefer a Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny. I must say that.”

Meanwhile, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stood by the league’s decision, offering a polished defense earlier in the week.

“Listen, Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world and that’s one of the reasons we chose him,” Goodell said.
“But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on and 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.”

For millions of Americans, that promise rang hollow.