Bad Bunny's Super Bowl pushback from MAGA influencers is the latest chapter in a long history of Latino artists facing heat on America's most significant sports events.
The big picture: These flashpoints underscore how Latino performers frequently bear the weight of cultural politics, identity debates, and representation battles on some of the country's most prominent stages.
- From Jose Feliciano's groundbreaking interpretation of the National Anthem at the 1968 World Series to Shakira and Jennifer Lopez's Super Bowl halftime performance, Latino artists have brought some of the most memorable — and controversial — moments to U.S. sports history.
Catch up quick: Far-right commentators lashed out on social media almost immediately after the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Bad Bunny as 2026's Super Bowl halftime performer.
- MAGA influencers accused Bad Bunny of being a "demonic Marxist," attacked him for being critical of ICE raids and suggested he wasn't American enough because he performs mainly in Spanish.
- An adviser to Homeland Security even suggested that ICE agents may be dispatched to the Super Bowl during his performance — even though the Puerto Rican-born performer is a U.S. citizen. (Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and ICE cannot legally detain him).
- When asked about the matter at a press conference on Friday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to share the president's opinion and said of ICE being at the Super Bowl, "as far as I'm aware, there's no tangible plan for that in store right now."
Zoom in: Bad Bunny is one of the most popular musical stars on Earth. He was the third-most-streamed artist globally on Spotify last year and the only Latino to crack a top-five spot on Spotify's list.
- The performer hasn't commented on the controversy, but he posted an Instagram video of himself sitting on a football goal post on a Puerto Rican beach with the words: Super Bowl LX. Bay Area. February 2026.
Between the lines: The anger about the Bad Bunny stems from ignorance that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and that he's an outspoken Latino artist, Amílcar Antonio Barreto, Northeastern professor of Cultures, Societies, and Global Studies, told Axios.
- "The dominant society tends to relish in its minority, so long as they behave as its model minorities," Barreto said.
- Barreto said by speaking out about politics and performing in Spanish, Bad Bunny is showing that he practices his art on his own terms, and that doesn't sit well with some people.
Flashback: Feliciano's singing of the National Anthem before game 5 of the 1968 World Series was met with boos at Detroit's Tiger Stadium.
- The Vietnam War divided the nation. Riots hit cities, and protests rocked college campuses. The Puerto Rican-born Feliciano said he wanted his unique, folk version to resonate with younger listeners.
- Veterans reportedly threw shoes at televisions after Feliciano, and he would later say the performance ruined his career.
- But future performers who broke with traditional National Anthem interpretations — like Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock in 1969 — have credited Feliciano's bold move.
Other Latino performers saw backlash:
- Jacqueline Jaquez, then 7, generated angry responses to her soulful rendition of the National Anthem before Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. She was the granddaughter of migrant workers.
- Marc Anthony's rendition of "God Bless America" during the 2013 MLB All-Star Game sparked a xenophobic reaction, questioning whether he was "American enough." Anthony responded that he's a born-and-raised New Yorker to Puerto Rican-born parents.
- Shakira and Jennifer Lopez faced criticism for their 2020 Super Bowl halftime performance due to its political imagery, including children in cage-like props and a Puerto Rico/U.S. flag cape. (Bad Bunny made a guest appearance).
- Nezza performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" in Spanish at Dodger Stadium before a Dodgers game in June, coinciding with the Trump administration's stepped-up ICE raids in Los Angeles. MAGA attacked her online.
Bottom line: Sometimes, Latino performers at sporting events create a reaction just by being themselves or walking onto the stage.
- That's building buzz — and anxiety — over what Bad Bunny has in store.
Go deeper: Super Bowl halftime show draws praise, tears from U.S. Latinos
