Ben Shapiro calls out Bad Bunny halftime performance for disrespecting American values
.@benshapiro slams Bad Bunny for being ungrateful to America:
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) February 12, 2026
"When he decided that he was going to go through every single country in the Americas and say, 'We are all America,' as though there is nothing special or unique about the country that gave you fame, fortune...the… pic.twitter.com/13jtBZJHbw
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro criticized Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime performance on the show 'Friendly Fire' aired on Thursday, February 12.
The rapper, who became the first artist to win Grammy for album of the year for a record sung entirely in Spanish, has previously faced criticism from conservative groups over his anti-Trump and immigration comments.
Ben Shapiro criticizes Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime message
During the episode, Shapiro expressed frustration over multiple aspects of Bad Bunny’s performance. Referring to the language used during the show, Shapiro said, “But the part of it that really ticks me off, and it's not even that it's all in Spanish, although, again, I would appreciate if you did something in English, because we should all speak English, it's America.”
He continued by saying that the ending of the performance was particularly troubling to him. Shapiro described the moment at the end of the show when the rapper mentioned countries across the Americas and declared, “we are all America.”
Shapiro responded, “We all understand, we're not. Americans means from the United States.” He added that he found the statement “insulting,” calling it “a way of gaslighting everybody and driving them half mad and crazy, and then trolling off of that.”
He also questioned why other countries were mentioned, saying, “Somehow, Peru is getting mentioned. And by the way, it wasn't just Latino, right? Because it mentioned Canada. I'm not sure what the Canadians have to do with any of that. And he didn't mention Greenland. I thought that was a huge omission.”
In a sarcastic exchange, he added, “If we're not going to include Greenland, what are we even doing here?” Despite his criticism, Shapiro had previously praised elements of the halftime show.
He used the word “incredible” several times to describe the production and said, “The staging was immaculate.” He also highlighted specific moments he appreciated, including “a straight couple getting married” during the show and described as “charming” a moment where children fell asleep during the ceremony.
Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show sparks political backlash
President Donald Trump also weighed in on the performance, criticizing it on Truth Social. He wrote, “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.”
He further stated, “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the USA, and all over the World.”
In response to the controversial performance, Turning Point simultaneously broadcast its “All-American” halftime show as counter-programming. The alternative broadcast celebrated blue-collar workers and featured a tribute to TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk.
Additionally, Rep. Andy Ogles wrote an open letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee demanding a “formal congressional inquiry” into the National Football League and NBCUniversal for airing the rapper’s performance.
