In a lengthy message posted to Truth Social shortly after the halftime show ended, Trump wrote that the performance was “an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.”
“Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting,” Trump added, “This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country […] There is nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show and watch, it will get great reviews from the Fake News Media, because they haven’t got a clue of what is going on in the REAL WORLD.”
“And, by the way, the NFL should immediately replace its ridiculous new Kickoff Rule,” he concluded.
The furious response came after the White House had publicly declared that Trump would not be watching the halftime show, and would instead tune in to Turning Point USA’s alternate “Real American Halftime Show,” headlined by Kid Rock.
Just a week before the performance, Bad Bunny had used his speech during the Grammy Awards — where his most recent album Debí Tirar Más Fotos won Album of The Year — to draw attention to ICE’s violent, frequently unlawful targeting and abuse against immigrant communities.
“Before I say, ‘Thanks to God,’ I’m going to say, ‘ICE out,” Bad Bunny declared in his Album of the Year acceptance speech. The artist had previously excluded American cities from his album tour, citing concerns that his concerts — popular among all demographics but particularly by Hispanics and Latinos — would be targeted by ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge.
It seems the president — like many right wingers who claimed to be boycotting the halftime show — couldn’t resist the temptation of seeing one of the most popular artists on the planet, even if it was just to farm outrage bait.
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Those small opportunities became part of the festival’s identity: a place where established acts and future stars could exist side by side. That philosophy remains central to the festival’s return. While Warped Tour’s biggest names will draw crowds, Lyman believes the real magic has always happened away from the main stages.
