The NFL isn’t backing down from its choice of Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show headliner, despite growing outrage from far-right critics — including President Trump and former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick.
What Goodell Said
At Wednesday’s press conference, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that the decision is final.
“It’s carefully thought through,” Goodell told reporters. “I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching.”
Goodell said the league is confident in its decision, emphasizing that Bad Bunny understands “the platform that he’s on,” and that the show will be “exciting and a united moment.”
The Controversy
Since the announcement in September, right-wing backlash has flared across social media, with critics calling it “un-American” to have a Spanish-speaking performer headline the show. Patrick posted on X,
“No songs in English should not be allowed at one of America’s highest-rated television events of the year.”
President Trump also weighed in, calling the decision “absolutely ridiculous” and blaming it on “some promoter they hired.”
Fans Respond Online
Despite the noise, most NFL fans online are defending the decision.
“Why would they reconsider? He’s known worldwide. The NFL’s expanding internationally—this makes perfect sense,” one fan wrote.
Others dismissed the backlash as “fake outrage,” pointing out that many of the same critics will still tune in for the game.
Still, a few fans remain unhappy.
“He hates his customer base,” one wrote about Goodell, while another said, “It’s clear who the NFL is targeting to grow viewership.”
What’s Next
With Bad Bunny confirmed to headline, Super Bowl 60 is shaping up to be one of the most globally watched halftime shows in history — and possibly the most talked about.
