Karoline Leavitt Says Trump “Prefers Not to Watch” Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show
WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this week that President Donald Trump plans to skip watching Bad Bunny’s highly anticipated Super Bowl LX halftime performance, suggesting instead that he would “much prefer” an alternative show featuring country‑rock artist Kid Rock. The comments come amid widening cultural debates about the choice of the Puerto Rican music star for the NFL’s biggest annual entertainment slot.
During a Thursday press briefing, senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Leavitt whether Trump would tune in to Bad Bunny’s halftime performance or the rival “All‑American Halftime Show” organized by conservative group Turning Point USA (TPUSA). Leavitt, chuckling, said the president would favor the TPUSA event — headlined by Kid Rock — over the official NFL broadcast.
“I think the president would much prefer a Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny,” Leavitt told reporters, underscoring the administration’s broader criticism of the halftime show selection.
A Political Backdrop to the Music
Bad Bunny — the Puerto Rican Grammy Award‑winning artist set to headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show on Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California — has become an unexpected flashpoint in U.S. cultural politics. The NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny marked a milestone: he is the first solo Latin artist to headline the event, reflecting both his global popularity and the league’s efforts to appeal to diverse audiences.
Yet the selection has drawn significant backlash from some conservative commentators and political figures, including Trump and his allies. The criticism intensified after Bad Bunny’s speech at the Grammy Awards earlier in February, in which the singer called for removing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from harm’s way — a message that drew sharp rebukes from administration spokespeople.
In response, Turning Point USA organized an “All‑American Halftime Show” to air concurrently with the NFL’s program, featuring performers like Kid Rock, Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, and Gabby Barrett — artists more aligned with conservative cultural tastes.
White House: No Official NFL Boycott, Personal Preference
Leavitt emphasized that Trump’s comments represent a personal preference rather than an official boycott of the NFL or its halftime show. She also reiterated that the president is not making a prediction on the game itself — the Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots matchup — though she joked about her own rooting interests.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, for his part, has defended the league’s decision to feature Bad Bunny, highlighting his global influence and the power of the Super Bowl stage to unite audiences. Goodell told reporters earlier this week that the artist “understands the platform” and that the NFL expects a “great performance.”
Cultural Divides on Full Display
The discourse around the Super Bowl halftime show reflects larger cultural tensions in American society this year. Critics of the Bad Bunny selection argue that the entertainer’s style and political stances are divisive, while supporters see his position as a sign of growing representation and cultural inclusivity on one of the world’s largest entertainment stages.
As Super Bowl LX approaches on Sunday, Feb. 8, the halftime show debate — from presidential preferences to alternative programming — adds an unusually political texture to an event traditionally celebrated as an inclusive spectacle of sport and entertainment.
