Trump says NFL is passing the blame on Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show: ‘I don’t know why they’re doing it’

President Donald Trump pinpointed two main areas of focus when criticizing the NFL’s Super Bowl LX plans for February.

During an appearance on Newsmax with host Greg Kelly on Monday, Trump was asked about the NFL’s decision to have Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny perform at the annual halftime show.

‘I never heard of him. I don’t know who he is.’

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny, has been accused of being an odd choice for football fans given the simple fact that he performs mostly in Spanish. This is coupled with the artist’s criticisms of the president — which include mocking him in a music video — and previous statements about avoiding U.S. cities on his tour because he fears immigration enforcement may occur outside of his concerts.

In a clip from Newsmax, Trump admitted to never having heard of the singer.

“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,” the president said. “And then they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

In the NFL’s Super Bowl announcement, the league explained exactly who is in charge of the halftime performance.

RELATED: Bad Bunny: Learn Spanish if you want to understand my Super Bowl performance

Bad Bunny. Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for GLAAD

“Apple Music, the NFL, and Roc Nation announced that 3x Grammy Award-winning global recording artist Bad Bunny will perform at the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Sunday, February 8, 2026, airing on NBC,” the NFL wrote in a press release.

Apple Music’s key figure is listed as Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and international content.

Roc Nation, the company founded by rapper Jay-Z, has been involved with Super Bowl halftime shows since 2019. In the same press release, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter said Bad Bunny’s “unique ability to bridge genres, languages, and audiences makes him an exciting and natural choice to take the Super Bowl halftime stage.”

In response to the announcement, Trump administration adviser Corey Lewandowski said there is “nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else.”

According to Variety, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called it “a terrible decision” for the NFL to have Bad Bunny perform.

Meanwhile, when hosting “Saturday Night Live” last weekend, Bad Bunny responded to criticisms in a lighthearted manner but also noted in Spanish that the booking was “an achievement” for himself and Puerto Ricans.

He concluded by saying in English: “And if you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”

RELATED: Super Bowl platforms anti-ICE DRAG QUEEN rapper Bad Bunny to troll MAGA

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

On Newsmax, the president aired another grievance with the NFL, saying, “While we’re at it, I’d like them to change the kickoff rule, which looks ridiculous, where the ball is kicked and the ball is floating in the air, and everyone’s standing there watching it. It’s ridiculous.”

The president claimed the new kickoff formation is “not any safer” than the previous format, which the league abandoned before the 2024 season.

The NFL claimed in January, however, that concussions in 2024 were down 43% when compared to the 2021-2023 average.

“I think it just looks so terrible,” Trump continued. “I think it really demeans football, to be honest with you. It’s a great game, but it demeans football. Do you know what I mean by that? The kickoff rule, the new kickoff rule, it’s ridiculous.”

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