Trump vs. Bad Bunny timeline as the Super Bowl approaches

In October, Trump told Newsmax's Greg Kelly he had "never heard" of Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican megastar who had been announced as the headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. "It's absolutely ridiculous," the president said of the pick.

Bad Bunny’s performance at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California has caused excitement among fans ready to see the first Latin solo artist headline the world's biggest entertainment stage. But it has also caused some backlash among people who weren't familiar with the Spanish speaking artist, as well as the president and his supporters.

As the Feb. 8 Super Bowl approaches, we take a look at how Trump and Bad Bunny have collided politically and culturally:

Bad Bunny vs. Trump’s immigration policy

Trump’s administration has enacted widespread immigration raids and rollbacks to immigrant protections. Bad Bunny hasn’t been silent about it.

Bad Bunny did not schedule any U.S. appearances for his latest world tour, which includes stops across Latin America, Australia, Europe and Japan. Ahead of the tour, he held a residency in Puerto Rico from July 11 to Sept. 14 that brought thousands of fans from across the world to the island.

In an interview published Sept. 10, Bad Bunny said Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns were part of the reason he opted not to bring his tour to the U.S.

"There were many reasons why I didn't show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate," he told I-D magazine. "But there was the issue of—like, (expletive) ICE could be outside (my concert). And it's something that we were talking about and very concerned about."

'NUEVAYoL' music video takes apparent swipe at Trump

Bad Bunny made a pointed statement about Trump’s anti-immigration policies in the music video for his song "NUEVAYoL," which he released on the Fourth of July. After showing a Puerto Rican flag hanging over the forehead of the Statue of Liberty, a voice that sounds like Trump's plays from a radio and says:

"I made a mistake. I want to apologize to the immigrants in America," the voice says. "I want to say that this country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans …"

Despite his criticisms about how immigrants and Puerto Ricans (who are American citizens) are treated in the "NUEVAYoL" music video, Bad Bunny has said his Super Bowl performance will focus on promoting unity.

In the official trailer for his upcoming halftime show, Bad Bunny’s song, “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – or “unforgettable dance” – is playing as he dances with performers of various ages and from diverse backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities.

“The world will dance,” the trailer concludes.

MAGA allies criticize Super Bowl halftime choice

Since Bad Bunny was announced as the headliner of the Super Bowl, some of Trump’s allies have criticized the NFL’s choice. 

Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager and a current adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, in October suggested that ICE agents may be at next year's Super Bowl. 

"There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally," Lewandowski said on conservative YouTuber Benny Johnson's podcast. "Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else."

Then days later, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also on Johnson's podcast said the administration would be sending immigration officials to Levi's Stadium and called the NFL "so weak" for their choice of performer.

"I have the responsibility to make sure everybody who goes to the Super Bowl has the opportunity to enjoy it and to leave safely. That's what America’s about," Noem said in October. "We'll be all over that place."

Bad Bunny responded to Noem and the backlash he was getting last October during an appearance on Saturday Night Live, where he said everyone was happy that he would be headling the halftime show, “even Fox News.”

The sketch show then cut to a montage of Fox news contributors that had been edited to make it sound as if they were praising him and saying, "Bad Bunny is my favorite musician, and he should be the next president."

It's not only the Trump administration that has been critical of Bad Bunny.

Turning Point USA, the conservative organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, announced in October it would host an alternative halftime show. The organization has yet to announce the lineup with less than a month until the Super Bowl.

A Change.org petition to replace Bad Bunny with George Strait, a musician who "embodies the heart and soul of American music," has garnered over 120,000 signatures.

Bad Bunny supported Kamala Harris after 'Kill Tony' controversy

Bad Bunny backed former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

The move came after a comedian performing at one of Trump’s closing campaign rallies derided Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” The remark from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who goes by the stage name Kill Tony, caused widespread backlash. The Trump campaign at the time released a statement saying the remarks did not reflect the then-Republican candidate’s views.

After Hinchcliffe’s comments went viral, Bad Bunny shared a video of Harris criticizing Trump’s actions against Puerto Rico when he was president. On his Instagram Story, Bad Bunny shared a post from Harris’ Instagram account that outlines her agenda for the island. 

He then shared a clip of Harris’ post that said: “I will never forget what Donald Trump did – and what he did not do – when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader. He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back to back devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults.”

Bad Bunny critical of Trump's hurricane response in Puerto Rico

During Trump's first presidency, two back-to-back hurricanes, including Hurricane Maria, ravaged Puerto Rico in 2017. Around 3,000 people died and thousands more were displaced. 

Bad Bunny at the time criticized the Trump administration's response and lack of aid to the island following Hurricane Maria. An image also went viral of Trump tossing paper towel rolls into crowds when he visited following the devastation.

During a benefit concert for hurricane relief across Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Caribbean in 2017, Bad Bunny wrote a shirt that seemed to be directed at Trump: "¿Eres Twitero o Presidente?" 

Or in English: "Are You a Tweeter or President?"

Contributing: Kinsey Crowley, Pamela Avila, Taijuan Moorman, Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY