A petition to replace Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny with country music icon George Strait as the Super Bowl halftime performer has gained traction online.
The petition, which has over 50,000 signatures on Change.org, argues that the show “should unite our country, honor American culture, and remain family-friendly, not be turned into a political stunt.”
Bad Bunny, who performs primarily in Spanish, was chosen as the halftime headliner for Super Bowl 60. The pick was announced in September by the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation.
The reason for the petition is threefold, according to its creator, who goes by the pseudonym Kar Shell: Keep the Super Bowl family-friendly, keep politics out of the halftime show and celebrate American music traditions.
“This petition is about restoring halftime performances that showcase unity, respect, and shared enjoyment—something the entire family can look forward to together,” the petition said.
Bad Bunny, who is Puerto Rican and one of the most-streamed artists globally, will make history as the first solo Spanish-language headliner.
Spanish is the second-most popular language in the U.S. behind English, representing 13% of the population.
In 2020, Bad Bunny joined Jennifer Lopez and Shakira for the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show as a featured act alongside J Balvin, incorporating significant Spanish-language performances. It drew 1,300 complaints to the FCC for being too sexualized for a family-friendly broadcast.
The selection has drawn both criticism and praise, the latter regarding his cultural significance representing a U.S. territory and strategic alignment with the NFL’s goals of international expansion and reaching a younger, diverse audience.
Before Mr. Trump was elected, comic Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at a rally for the president. This prompted Bad Bunny to take to Instagram with an eight-minute video celebrating his homeland with the caption “garbage.”
Some backlash against the NFL’s selection is due to Bad Bunny’s past criticism of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.
The artist decided to exclude the U.S. from his world tour due to concerns about immigration raids at his concerts. Corey Lewandowski, a special government employee at the Department of Homeland Security, said that ICE agents would be at the upcoming Super Bowl to conduct immigration enforcement.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has since said there was not currently a plan in place for immigration enforcement at the Super Bowl.
Some conservatives decried the selection made by the NFL and its partners.
Turning Point USA, the conservative activism organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, announced plans to host an alternative halftime show. The organization has not publicized details about performers or how to watch.
The Super Bowl has become increasingly politicized.
Renowned rapper Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 halftime performance featured background dancers forming an American flag split down the middle, representing a political divide.
The Super Bowl will be played Feb. 8 at the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Broadcast by NBC, the game is television’s biggest night of the year and is expected to earn hundreds of millions of viewers.
• Mary McCue Bell can be reached at mbell@washingtontimes.com.
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